Gemotions

He had told his parents, his friends, his mentors. Marcus had spent weeks preparing the application, painstakingly writing the essay. And now, this. The scholarship, the key to unlocking his dreams, was a mistake. A letter, official, impersonal, a death sentence to his carefully laid plans.

He felt a sudden heat rise in his cheeks, followed by a chilling sensation that washed over his body. He stood up abruptly from his desk, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. He needed air. He walked to the window, gazing out at the campus.

Everything seemed distorted, as if seen through a funhouse mirror. The future, once a clear path, was now a confusing labyrinth. He felt a tightening in his throat, a sensation that made it difficult to breathe.