Gemotions

The email shimmered on her phone screen, the words a cruel mirage. “Due to unforeseen financial circumstances…” She reread the sentence, the breakfast she’d just eaten now a leaden weight in her stomach. A cold sweat slicked her palms, making the phone feel like a slimy fish. She swiped the screen again, expecting the announcement to vanish. It didn’t. Her carefully constructed future, the one she’d pinned all her hopes on, crumbled before her eyes.

She stood abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the linoleum floor of the dorm room. Her roommate, Sarah, looked up from her textbook, eyebrow raised in concern. "Everything alright, Maya? You look…pale." Maya couldn't speak. She just shook her head, feeling the world tilting precariously. The walls seemed to be closing in.

She stumbled towards the door, muttering something about fresh air. The campus, usually buzzing with life, now felt like a mausoleum. The sunlight seemed harsh, the leaves on the trees mocking her with their vibrant, carefree existence. The air tasted of impending doom.