Gemotions

The laboratory, usually a place of quiet focus, thrummed with activity. Maya’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes shining as she watched the final test run of her anti-gravity device. The results were astounding. It was going to change everything! She laughed, a sound that bubbled from deep within. She imagined headlines. She envisioned acceptance speeches. She felt like she could fly.

Her phone rang, a shrill interruption to her reverie. It was her lawyer, his voice somber. "Maya, I regret to inform you..." Her stomach lurched. Her hands, which moments before had been full of an eagerness, suddenly became cold. The feeling of absolute invincibility was fading.

The air felt heavy, oppressive. The lab, once filled with such promise, now seemed to shrink around her. She sat down, her legs giving way. She stared at the anti-gravity device, no longer sure what she was looking at.