Gemotions

The email arrived mid-afternoon, the harsh white light of the computer screen reflecting in Leo's widened eyes. He blinked, reread the words. His hands began to tremble, and he quickly closed the laptop, a clatter echoing in the otherwise silent dorm room. He felt a cold prickling on the back of his neck, a sensation he couldn't shake. He buried his face in his hands.

Leo pushed himself to his feet, pacing the cramped space. He kept replaying his parents’ reaction to his acceptance letter. The pride, the relief that their sacrifices had paid off. A wave of nausea surged through him. He hadn’t told them about the mounting rumors. He’d hoped they were wrong.

He grabbed his worn backpack and headed out the door, needing air, needing anything other than the suffocating feeling tightening his chest. The quad seemed unnaturally vast, the familiar brick buildings suddenly looming, threatening. He had nowhere to go, no answers, just a deep, hollow dread.