Gemotions

The coffee tasted like dirt, but Maya forced herself to drink it anyway. She had been subsisting on caffeine and instant noodles for weeks. Dr. Olsen’s office was a beacon of order in the chaos of the university, and a place where she had found some small amount of confidence. And now, she found out, that beacon was dimming. An email notified her of his move to another school, a new, better position.

She pushed her plate around, barely touching her food. The thought of finding a new advisor, of explaining her research all over again, filled her with a profound sense of inertia.

She closed her eyes and the exhaustion settled in, a heavy fog.