Gemotions

The world narrowed. Anya had been so sure. The award ceremony had been a blur of forced smiles and congratulatory handshakes. Now, back in her cramped apartment, staring at the scholarship acceptance letter with the wrong name, everything seemed to shift, to tilt.

She wanted to call her parents, to tell them the good news. But she couldn't. Her hand, hovering over the phone, felt numb. The room seemed to spin. She dropped the letter onto the small, cluttered table, and it landed with a soft *thud*.

A wave of dizziness washed over her. She gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles white. Her breath came in short, shallow pants. The walls seemed to close in, compressing her into a tiny, suffocating space.