Gemotions

He had woken up with a sense of unease. John had just dismissed it as a pre-presentation jitters. But when he tried to call Dr. Peterson at his usual time, and got his voicemail, he grew more alert. He checked his email, and there it was, a brief, impersonal message from the university. Dr. Peterson, his advisor, his mentor of the past five years, had departed. Immediately.

The room began to spin. He felt dizzy, lightheaded. He grabbed the edge of his desk to steady himself. This couldn’t be right. He paced the room, back and forth, muttering under his breath. He pulled at his tie, loosening it. He felt trapped, adrift without a rudder. The presentation, the research, everything suddenly seemed pointless.