Gemotions

The email arrived mid-afternoon, just as Leo was finally making some headway on his economics paper. He clicked the link, the words "Urgent Announcement" immediately causing a knot to form in his stomach. He skimmed, heart thudding against his ribs. The university, his university, was shutting its doors. He felt a wave of dizziness and had to grip the edge of his desk to steady himself. His carefully constructed plans, his future, felt like they were dissolving into vapor.

He reread the announcement. His vision blurred slightly. He pushed his glasses up his nose, the metal cold against his skin, trying to focus. He thought of his parents’ sacrifices, the loans he’d taken. Now what? The question pounded in his head, a relentless drumbeat. He slowly stood, walked to his window, and stared out at the campus quad, suddenly foreign and unfamiliar.