Gemotions

The librarian was the first to tell him. "Heard the news, David?" she'd asked, her voice unusually subdued. David had been lost in the stacks, immersed in research for his thesis. Now, the weight of the world slammed down on his shoulders. He felt a sudden, sickening drop in his gut.

He slowly walked over to the nearest window, looking out at the familiar quad, now rendered alien. The leaves on the trees seemed to be a sickly, unnatural green. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, wishing he could just wake up.

He felt a deep, hollow ache in his chest, a sense of betrayal. Years of work, of dedication, reduced to nothing. He leaned against the cool glass, the silence of the library amplifying the deafening roar in his own head.