Gemotions

"Everything alright, Maya?" Professor Davies’ voice, typically warm and reassuring, seemed distant. Maya jumped, startled. She hadn’t realized she’d been staring out the window, her gaze fixed on the empty quad. She forced a smile, a brittle, shaky thing that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yeah, fine,” she replied, her voice sounding thin, almost swallowed by the vastness of the room. She fidgeted with the pen in her hand, clicking it on and off, the sound echoing in the silence. The lecture hall, usually bustling with students, felt cavernous today, the rows of empty seats amplifying her disquiet.