Gemotions

Her mouth went dry. The notification sat there, a digital declaration of…what? It made no sense. It was as if her entire academic career, all her efforts, had been rendered meaningless, stolen by an invisible thief.

She felt a strange pressure building behind her eyes, the familiar precursor to a headache. She had to understand how, why. She wanted to yell but she couldn't.

She gripped her phone, her knuckles turning white, and began drafting an angry email, each word a desperate attempt to claw back what had been taken from her. But as she typed, she knew it wouldn't be that simple.