Gemotions

"Are you serious?" Amelia snapped at the email notification on her laptop, her voice sharper than she intended. She closed the lid with a resounding *thwack*. Dr. Chen, the only professor who seemed to remotely understand her research, was departing for a position across the country.

Her stomach felt like a tangled knot. She ran a hand through her hair, tugging at the strands. The sunlight pouring through the window seemed mocking, cheerful in its oblivious joy. She hated the sun right now.

Amelia pushed her chair away from the desk. The sudden movement sent a tremor through her, like an aftershock. She needed to be alone. She needed silence. She needed… something that wasn’t this. She grabbed her keys and fled the apartment, the door slamming shut behind her.