Gemotions

The email sat in Leo’s inbox, a stark white rectangle against the digital blackness. Subject: Scholarship Revocation. His stomach plummeted, a cold lead weight settling deep within him. He reread the message, the words blurring, each syllable a blow. An administrative error. His scholarship, the lifeline that allowed him to pursue his studies, was awarded in error. It belonged to another student.

He thought of the other student, nameless, faceless, a potential victim of his good fortune. Leo pictured them, perhaps counting on the funds, the way he had. He closed his laptop, a lump forming in his throat. He had to know who this other person was, what their story was. He had to understand.

He found the office door, the one with the administrative assistant he had seen a few times before. He took a few steps, then hesitated. Taking a deep breath, he knocked.