Gemotions

The email sat there, a malevolent little rectangle in her inbox. Amelia stared at it, the cursor blinking mockingly on the line that read, “We regret to inform you…” Her breath hitched. She felt a strange buzzing behind her eyes, a sensation like the world was slowly losing its color. The cozy, sun-drenched study, usually her sanctuary, suddenly felt stifling. She reached for her coffee, but her hand fumbled, and the mug clattered against the desk, sloshing lukewarm liquid over the manuscript’s cover.