Gemotions

The email shimmered on the screen. Sarah blinked, the words blurring despite her glasses. *Congratulations, Sarah Miller, on being awarded the prestigious Worthington Scholarship…*. Her heart thumped a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She reread the name at the top again. The wrong name. Her stomach lurched, a cold, sinking feeling. She wanted to scream, to laugh, to disappear. A sudden, intense pressure built behind her eyes.

She stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. Her breath hitched. She felt like someone had punched the air out of her. The meticulously organized dorm room, usually a source of comfort, now seemed alien and mocking. Dust motes danced in the afternoon sunbeams, a silent, chaotic ballet.

“This… this isn’t right,” she stammered, her voice thin and reedy. Her hands began to tremble. Her phone felt impossibly heavy in her grip.