Gemotions

David slumped against the wall of the library, the letter crumpled in his hand. His chest felt constricted, as if a weight was pressing down on him. The scholarship, the key to his aspirations, was gone. He closed his eyes, his head swimming with the implications.

He focused on the rhythm of his breathing, trying to calm the hammering in his chest. But the quiet of the library only amplified the pounding in his ears. He imagined the mountain of debt looming before him, the countless hours of work he would now need to take on. He felt a deep, chilling dread creep into his bones.