Gemotions

The photograph lay face down on the desk, a cruel reminder. Professor Armitage, the master of astrophysics, had disappeared, his office emptied. His absence was a personal slight. He had been promised a future, a legacy.

She picked up the photo, then slammed it back down, the glass of the frame rattling. The image of Armitage and herself, smiling, felt suddenly brittle and false. He was the one who had always insisted on excellence.

She switched off the desk lamp. The sudden darkness felt fitting.