Gemotions

The essay lay on the desk, the lines of text now a weapon pointed at him. Mark’s hands trembled as he stared at the email, the stark words cutting into him. He felt a sense of disorientation, as if the ground had shifted beneath his feet.

He leaned back in his chair, trying to steady his breathing. The walls of his room seemed to close in around him, suffocating him. He had always been so careful, so diligent. Now, everything he’d built, his entire academic career, felt like it was on the verge of collapsing.

He rose from his chair, pacing the small confines of his room. He felt a deep sense of injustice, and a rising tide of anger. This simply wasn’t fair. He had to do something, he told himself. He had to fight. But the task ahead felt enormous, terrifying.