Gemotions

Liam stared at the email, the stark white letters blurring before his eyes. The scholarship, the one that had validated his endless hours of practice, the one that had affirmed his parents' sacrifices, was gone. It had been a mistake, a clerical error, a sentence that felt like a death knell.

He slammed his fist on the desk, the sudden movement startling him. His knuckles ached, a small, tangible pain that somehow felt appropriate. He wandered into the kitchen, the aroma of the dinner his mother had been preparing a cruel reminder of normalcy. He couldn’t face her; the news would devastate her.

He grabbed a bottle of water, chugging it down in large gulps, the cold liquid doing little to quench the fire in his throat. He sank into a chair, his body heavy, his muscles refusing to cooperate. He felt hollow, as if someone had scooped out his insides. The vibrant colors of the kitchen felt too bright, the sounds of the city outside too loud. The world, once full of possibility, felt suffocating.