Gemotions

The words on the screen blurred. Professor Bell, leaving. The email's formal tone was a cruel joke. He had invested everything in this. His career. His happiness. His life.

He felt a deep chill. He could not think straight. He imagined the department heads discussing him, his work, and his fate. He felt a growing dread that settled deep in his stomach. He was not good enough.

He felt like a prisoner in his own mind. He stood, his legs shaky. He had to escape the confines of his office, the university, the very notion of academia.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to break something. He grabbed his bag and ran.