Gemotions

The letter arrived in the mail, crisp and official. "…regret to inform you…" Maria dropped it, the ivory paper sliding soundlessly to the floor. She felt a numbness spread through her, a paralysis that kept her rooted in place. The room spun slightly.

She didn't know how long she stood there, staring at the ceiling, trying to comprehend the words. It was like a cruel joke, a cosmic prank. Her dreams, her aspirations, the future she had envisioned with such vivid detail, now seemed distant, like a faded photograph.

She eventually managed to pick up the letter, the paper suddenly heavy in her trembling hands. She felt as though she'd been physically wounded, a deep, throbbing ache radiating from her chest. The world was suddenly a very different place.