Gemotions

The world felt muted, a constant hum of background noise that dulled everything. Mr. Chen shuffled through the day, going through the motions, his usual passion for history gone. The faces of his students blurred together, each lesson a repetition of the last.

A package, delivered to the staff room, contained a gift from a student, Emily, who had always struggled to connect with the material. She hadn’t seemed to care about anything.

It contained a small, antique compass. The needle spun wildly, before settling on a direction. A note attached to it said, “I hope you find your way.” He stared at the compass, a strange feeling blooming in his chest. A flicker.