Gemotions

The message hit Sarah hard. Professor Bell, her guiding star, was leaving. The academic world she had built around him shattered. Her usual vibrancy dimmed. The campus, usually alive with energy, seemed sterile and unfamiliar.

She found herself walking, aimlessly, through the town, the familiar shops and restaurants suddenly alien. She didn't want the company of others; the thought of engaging in small talk felt unbearable.

The evening descended. She sat in her apartment, the darkness enveloping her. She felt a profound sense of isolation, a detachment from the world. A single tear traced a path down her cheek.