Gemotions

He felt a complete and utter disconnect. The room around him, the sterile office of the academic integrity board, seemed to fade away. Mark, suddenly, was adrift, lost in a sea of doubt. The accusation—plagiarism—was a monstrous word. He didn’t know how to respond.

His palms were slick with sweat. He looked around him, seeing the faces of the board members, their expressions neutral, judging. He opened his mouth, then closed it. The words, when he tried to formulate them, felt clumsy and inadequate. It was as if his mind had short-circuited. He felt nothing but a stark, cold emptiness.