Gemotions

The clipboard slipped from Maya's grasp, clattering to the gym floor. She stared at the laminated sheet, the names blurring through a sudden film in her eyes. It couldn't be right. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the silence of the nearly empty room. She'd put in the hours, the sweat, the sacrifices. Yet, her name wasn't there. Not even on the alternate list.

She slowly sank to the bench, the cold metal a shock against her clammy palms. A hot wave of disorientation swept over her, leaving her feeling detached from her own body. The rhythmic squeak of sneakers on the polished floor seemed to recede into the distance. She pinched her arm. Yes, she was here. Real. But the reality felt…wrong.