Gemotions

The notice, a stark white rectangle, stared back at Maya from the bulletin board. "University to Close Doors…" it read, the words blurring slightly through her suddenly unfocused eyes. She'd been meaning to check the postings for weeks, but kept putting it off, drawn to the sterile quiet of her dorm room instead.

A heavy sensation settled in her chest, a dull ache that seemed to radiate through her limbs. She turned away from the announcement, the vibrant campus suddenly feeling alien, full of strangers rushing toward a future she no longer possessed. She dragged her feet back to her room, the sunlight feeling oppressive on her skin.

Later, she sat for hours, staring out the window, watching the leaves fall. She felt utterly disconnected from the world around her, her mind a blank screen. The thought of packing, of transferring, of *anything* seemed too monumental to contemplate.