Gemotions

"No, no, no," Mark muttered, clutching his phone like a lifeline. He scrolled through the email again and again, searching for some hidden clause, some loophole, some indication that this was all a terrible mistake. His breath came in ragged gasps.

He was sitting in his usual spot in the student center, the air thick with the smell of stale coffee and desperation. But the place that had always felt safe now seemed to mock him with its familiar comforts. He felt a sudden, almost unbearable pressure in his chest, making it difficult to draw a deep breath. He needed to get out, to escape. He scrambled to his feet, knocking over his half-eaten sandwich in his hurry.