Gemotions

From the moment the email arrived, Alice started sleeping with the lights on. Every rustle in the dark, every unfamiliar sound, sent a jolt of fear through her. She checked her phone constantly, bracing herself for the inevitable phone call.

She found herself replaying every interaction she’d had with the professor, analyzing every word, every gesture. She scrutinized the syllabus, looking for loopholes, for a way out. She had to find a way to explain this.

She avoided the cafeteria, the library, any place where she might run into someone who knew. She couldn’t shake the sensation of being watched, judged. Her reflection in the mirror was a stranger.