Gemotions

“Another one?” the bartender asked, his tone neutral. He nodded, pushing the empty glass across the counter. The pub was dim, the music a low thrumming in the background. Professor Thorne, his drinking buddy and friend, had vanished. No farewell, just a closed office door and a note from the Dean.

He took a long swallow, the liquor burning a path down his throat, the fire doing nothing to warm him. The conversation he usually enjoyed with his friend seemed impossible, the easy banter gone.

He paid the bill and left, the cold night air biting against his skin. He trudged down the street, feeling a hollowness that seemed to fill his entire body.