Gemotions

“What?” Mark stammered, his voice barely a whisper. The professor, his usually jovial mentor, had just delivered the news. The room swam before his eyes. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to buzz louder, reflecting the chaos inside him.

He felt the familiar pressure behind his eyes, the sting of unshed tears. He wanted to bolt, to escape the concerned glances of his classmates. He suddenly felt exposed, stripped of his academic armor.

He excused himself abruptly, stumbling out of the classroom and into the bustling hallway. The noise, the crowds, felt suffocating. He leaned against the cool wall, trying to regain his composure, to comprehend the magnitude of the change.