Gemotions

The announcement hit Sarah like a physical blow. She sat frozen at her desk, the half-finished chapter of her thesis mocking her with its incompleteness. A wave of heat washed over her, and she tugged at the collar of her shirt. She reread the email, each word a tiny hammer blow against her composure. The vibrant colors of her desk supplies—pens, highlighters, sticky notes—suddenly felt gaudy, mocking her with their cheerfulness. She abruptly slammed her laptop shut, the sound echoing in the silent office, and stared out the window at the empty campus.