Gemotions

The notification buzzed on Emily's phone, interrupting a rare moment of peace. She was curled up in a sunbeam in her tiny apartment, finally reading a novel she'd been meaning to get to. The headline: "University Facing Closure." A sigh escaped her, and she felt the comfortable warmth of the sun fading.

Her phone slipped from her grasp and landed on the floor with a dull thud. Everything was falling apart, lately. Her car was falling apart, her relationship had just ended, and now this. A hollow ache formed in her chest.

She got up and walked to the window, staring out at the city. It had always felt too big, too indifferent. She had planned to stay after graduating, but now? The thought of leaving everything behind seemed unbearable. Her apartment felt suddenly too small, the walls closing in. She felt like she was suffocating.