Gemotions

A lethargic lethargy had enveloped Maya. The afternoon sun, filtered through the blinds, cast long, dusty stripes across the wooden floorboards. She traced patterns in the dust with her fingertip, the simple action a fleeting distraction. The air in the room felt thick, heavy, as though each breath was a monumental effort.

She sprawled across the sofa, her gaze fixed on the television screen. The brightly colored images of a daytime talk show, filled with forced cheerfulness, did nothing to penetrate the fog that had settled in her mind. A hollow ache formed in the pit of her stomach. She felt a profound emptiness, a yawning chasm of nothingness.

The notification chime of her phone shattered the silence. An email. Scholarship Committee. She clicked on it with a muted dread, her heart sinking as she read the first line.