Gemotions

"I... I don't understand," Emily stammered, her voice barely a whisper. The news, delivered casually by her advisor, Professor Davies, sent a shock through her. He was leaving. To take a Dean position at a different school. Her carefully constructed plans crumbled.

She felt a wave of disorientation, like being pulled under by a powerful current. She clutched the edge of the conference table, her knuckles white. The light fixture in the room seemed to swing back and forth, mocking her.

Her carefully chosen research topic, so confidently pursued, now felt like a lost cause. She didn’t know who would guide her; she didn’t know what she was going to do. Tears began to prick at her eyes, her lips trembling. She could barely manage to breathe.