Gemotions

The email, subject line: “Important Announcement Regarding The Future of Oakhaven College,” still sat unopened in Emily's inbox. She avoided it like it was a live wire. She scrolled past it, again and again, pretending not to see it. It was the last thing she wanted to look at.

She knew. Everyone knew. The rumors had been circulating for weeks. She'd even heard, from her uncle, who sat on the college's board, that it was a near certainty. She had dismissed it, buried it deep inside, because it was too painful to contemplate.

She'd been so focused on her own life, her own success. She'd prioritized her internship, her networking events, her future career. She’d neglected her friends, her studies, and most of all, the community of the campus itself. Now, as the campus dissolved into nothing, the weight of the realization crushed her.