Gemotions

"No, no, no." The words repeated on Sophia's lips, a mantra of denial. The email lay open on her laptop, the words confirming her greatest fear. The scholarship, the key to everything, had been a mistake.

She leaned back in her chair, the world tilted. A coldness washed over her, making her teeth chatter. Her breath hitched. She felt disconnected, as if observing herself from a distance.

She closed her eyes, trying to banish the swirling darkness. The room spun. She reached out, grasping at the air, as if trying to pull herself back into reality. The silence became almost unbearable, a vast and empty space.