Gemotions

The weight of the library, the hushed tones of the other students, suddenly felt oppressive. Ethan felt as if he was sinking, slowly, inevitably, into quicksand. He found himself incapable of movement, of any response.

He looked down at the paper, and the words swam before his eyes. He felt a profound disorientation, a sense of having lost his bearings. His head throbbed.

"But…" he began, then stopped, his throat constricted. His gaze flicked up to meet the professor’s, but his vision blurred with tears. The accusation hung, a sentence pronounced.