Gemotions

"I won't be here next year," Professor Rossi had stated matter-of-factly. Clara felt a strange, detached numbness wash over her. It was as if her entire body had become heavy.

Her meticulously planned schedule, the deadlines, the conferences -- all of it dissolved into a blurry mess. She thought of the work left to be done, the revisions, the presentations, and a wave of exhaustion washed over her.

She looked around the room, the familiar office with its cluttered desk and overflowing bookshelves, and felt a sudden wave of disorientation. She ran a hand through her hair, a gesture of helplessness. She could not breathe. She felt the need to close her eyes, to make the world go away.

The cheerful music from the cafe across the street now sounded grating, an insult.