Gemotions

"No," Clara whispered, the word barely audible. The email's subject line - “Important Announcement Regarding University Operations” – had felt innocuous enough. But the words that followed, the official jargon detailing the imminent shutdown, had stolen the air from her lungs. She gripped the edge of the kitchen table, her knuckles white. Her carefully curated playlist, usually her solace, felt suddenly discordant, the cheerful music grating against her raw nerves. She leaned her forehead against the cool surface of the table, feeling the cold seep into her skin.