Gemotions

The news broke over the radio as he drove home from his part-time job. “Local university facing closure…” The voice was distant, clinical, but the words cut through him like a knife. He slammed on the brakes, the car skidding slightly on the wet pavement.

He pulled over to the side of the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. He couldn't speak, he couldn't think. The information was a massive weight upon him. He closed his eyes, taking deep, shuddering breaths.

His stomach lurched. His entire life had been planned around the assumption he’d be a graduate of that school. What was he supposed to do now? The thought brought a new wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm him.