Gemotions

The familiar squeak of the chalk against the blackboard filled Professor Thompson’s office. He was preparing his lecture, the notes neatly organized, his passion for history reignited with the semester’s commencement. He’d taught here for thirty years, the university a constant in his life. He felt a sense of belonging, a rootedness he had nurtured over decades.

A colleague knocked on his door, their face a mask of distress. "Have you seen the email?" they asked, their voice barely a whisper. "They're closing the college." Professor Thompson felt a slow, heavy feeling begin in his chest, a weight he couldn’t name.