Gemotions

The campus cafeteria was suddenly suffocating. The air smelled stale, the laughter of students irritatingly loud. He’d just read the email, the terse announcement echoing in his skull, and now he felt everything was contaminated.

He dropped his tray, the clatter of the plates barely registering over the roaring in his ears. The feeling in his gut was a black, consuming void. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird.

His eyes darted around, searching for someone to blame. He wanted to shout, to lash out, to rend the world in two. He pushed through the crowd, his shoulders bumping, ignoring the annoyed glances. He needed to get away, to be alone, to deal with this rising tide of fury.