Gemotions

A shiver ran down her spine. The email was a cold blast. Professor Schmidt was retiring. This was a crisis. She felt her hands start to tremble.

She needed to take a walk, to clear her head. She walked around the campus, each familiar building suddenly looking different, distant. She began to chew on her lip, a nervous habit. What now?

She sat on a bench, watching students stroll by, their faces bright and carefree. She felt a profound loneliness. She felt isolated. She needed to act, but the way forward was hidden.