Gemotions

The phone slipped from David’s grasp, clattering onto the hardwood floor. The screen shattered, mirroring the fragmentation within him. The scholarship – the lifeline he had clutched to – was gone. The image swam before him.

He remained frozen in place, a statue carved from shock. The silence in the small apartment pressed down on him, suffocating. He wanted to scream, to lash out, to blame someone, anyone. His lungs felt constricted.

He slowly knelt, picking up the broken phone, his fingers brushing against the sharp glass. He felt a wave of dizziness, and for a moment, he thought he might lose consciousness. He had to get out.