Gemotions

The campus map crumpled in her fist. Emily stood outside the library, the familiar scent of old books and dust doing nothing to soothe her. She'd loathed this place, of course. The stifling atmosphere, the constant pressure to conform. Now, though, the closing felt like a personal insult.

She'd been right. She’d always known it was unsustainable. She’d told her friends, her parents, anyone who would listen. They'd all dismissed her as cynical, negative. Now, here we were.

She walked towards the student center. It was empty. The usual throngs of chattering students were absent. She wanted to scream. She wanted to see the look on the Dean's face, the smugness replaced with utter despair.

She kicked a discarded water bottle. The plastic crinkled under her foot. This was their fault, not hers. They had failed to see what she had seen. And now, they would all be paying the price.