Gemotions

The world felt muted. The vibrant colors of the campus, the lively chatter of the students, everything had lost its edge. Professor Davies was leaving. Elias felt as though a vital organ was being ripped from his chest.

He started spending more time in the lab, ostensibly working on his experiments, but really, just being near where Davies worked. He’d meticulously clean the beakers, organize the reagents, rearrange the lab benches. Anything to fill the space where Davies’ presence used to be. The thought of losing this proximity made his stomach clench.

He found himself mimicking Davies' mannerisms - the way he ran his hand through his hair when he was thinking, the way he tapped his pen against his teeth. He felt a strange compulsion to become more like him, as if it would somehow keep him from departing. At the very least, he wanted to be remembered.