Gemotions

A wave of nausea hit Maya as she stood in the financial aid office. The air felt thick, difficult to breathe. The administrator’s words, a jumble of syllables, barely registered. It was a mistake. Someone else was supposed to have the money. Her knees felt weak, like she might simply crumple to the floor. She gripped the edge of the counter, knuckles white. The brightly lit room, usually so comforting, now seemed hostile, the faces of the other students a blur around her. She mumbled a thank you and stumbled back out into the hallway, the fluorescent lights causing a pounding headache.