Gemotions

"Gone?" Leo croaked, his voice barely a whisper. The receptionist, a woman he’d known for years, simply nodded, offering a tight-lipped sympathy. Mr. Chen, his art teacher, his mentor, his friend… just gone. No farewell, no explanation. Just a note on the bulletin board: "Leaving to pursue personal projects."

He walked the familiar halls of the studio, suddenly alien and unfamiliar. The canvases, the easels, the smell of turpentine – everything was the same, yet profoundly different. He felt as if the colors had faded, the lines blurred, as if a vital ingredient had been removed from his world. He had a knot in his stomach.