Gemotions

“This is quite serious, Emily,” said the TA, her voice devoid of warmth. Emily’s hands started to tremble, and she quickly shoved them under the table. The room was unusually cold, despite the summer heat outside. The pages of the submitted essay felt alien in her hands, no longer bearing any resemblance to the hours she had spent laboring over them.

She tried to formulate a response, to explain the oversight, to defend her work, but all she could manage was a stammered, “I… I don’t understand.” The words felt inadequate, hollow, failing to convey the truth of her intentions. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she felt a desperate urge to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the room.