Gemotions

The notification fluttered to the floor as Maya dropped her phone. The phone was undamaged, but the sound it made when it fell was a loud, jarring sound that echoed in the otherwise quiet room. Her hands began to tremble.

She ran her fingers through her hair, tangling the strands. Her breath hitched. The carefully crafted plans she'd made, the dreams she'd nurtured, felt like they were crumbling around her.

"No," she said, her voice a choked whisper. "No, this can't be happening." She kicked a stray textbook across the floor, the act of violence offering a fleeting moment of release.