Gemotions

Dust motes danced in the single shaft of sunlight slicing through the grimy window of Leo’s dorm room. The news, a curt email, lay open on his laptop screen, the words blurring before his eyes. His jaw clenched. He felt a profound sense of pressure, an invisible cage forming around him.

He slammed the laptop shut, the sudden noise echoing in the small space. He paced the cramped room, the scuffed floorboards groaning beneath his restless feet. He needed air, needed to escape the suffocating feeling.

He went outside, the crisp autumn air doing little to dispel the gloom. The campus, usually vibrant with activity, felt deserted, haunted by a sense of impending doom. He saw other students, faces mirroring his own despair. They were all in the same boat, all heading toward an unknown shore. He ran a hand through his hair, the action a futile attempt to make sense of the situation.