Gemotions

The email sat in the inbox, glowing with a menacing light. Professor Davies's subject line: "Important Update." Sarah finally clicked it open, the fluorescent office lights seemed to dim. *Moving on to a new opportunity.* The words swam. She reread the sentence three times, each pass bringing a fresh wave of… well, nothing. Just the flat ache behind her eyes, the familiar weight in her chest. She pushed her chair back, the wheels squeaking a mournful sound. The stack of research papers on her desk, once a mountain to be conquered, now just felt like… paper. She stared out the window, at the gray campus buildings, feeling utterly disconnected.