Gemotions

“Gone,” Mark said aloud, the word sounding fragile in the empty hallway. Professor Ellis, his advisor, was relocating. The thought made a cold spot form in his stomach. The university hallways that had once felt welcoming were suddenly impersonal, their echoing footsteps a constant reminder of his solitude.

He stopped eating lunch in the crowded cafeteria. He didn't want the awkward small talk. He ate a sandwich alone in the car, the radio turned off. His shoulders slumped.

He avoided his usual hobbies. The joy was gone. Everything felt… muted. He felt his hands trembling. He pulled out his phone, but the contacts seemed useless.