Gemotions

The feeling intensified with each passing day. The university’s silence was its own kind of announcement. It hung in the air, suffocating. He double-checked his locked door again, even though he knew he had.

The rumors amplified, becoming more specific, more terrifying. He started to feel like the only person who did not know. He imagined his professors laughing at his naiveté, whispering behind their hands. The world seemed to shrink, closing in on him.

He couldn't sleep. Every little noise in his dorm room jolted him awake. He kept imagining the worst: the sudden announcement, the frantic packing, the crushing disappointment. The world was going to end, and he would be left utterly and completely abandoned.