Gemotions

The blood pounded in Chloe’s ears. Professor Dubois, her advisor, was accepting a new position. She sat motionless, her jaw clenched tight. The library, normally a refuge, felt suffocating. She felt trapped.

She opened her laptop and began to type a curt reply to the email, then immediately deleted it. The cursor blinked mockingly, as if it were laughing at her. She felt a sudden need to flee, to escape this situation.

She gathered her belongings, her movements jerky and hurried. She marched out of the library, the automatic doors sliding open with a hiss, as if they wanted her to leave. The sudden rush of fresh air did little to calm her.