Gemotions

A wave of nausea hit Marcus as he listened to the university president’s address. The auditorium lights felt too bright, the air too thin. He gripped the worn fabric of his jeans, knuckles white. The words – “financial constraints,” “declining enrollment,” “closure” – echoed in his ears like a death knell.

He’d put everything into this place. His hopes, his dreams, the mountain of student loan debt. He’d sacrificed so much. The life he had planned seemed to evaporate before his eyes, replaced by a swirling vortex of uncertainty.

A low groan escaped his lips. He was going to lose his scholarship. His carefully crafted future was crumbling. He felt the sting of tears in his eyes, but he blinked them back, refusing to let anyone see his vulnerability.