Gemotions

A thrill coursed through Maya as she reread the opening paragraph of her history essay. Her fingers danced over the keyboard, already itching to add more. The words flowed effortlessly, each sentence building upon the last with a natural cadence. Then, the email. “Subject: Potential Academic Dishonesty.” Her stomach plunged. The professor’s note cited specific phrases, identical to those in a research paper she'd read months ago. Heat prickled her skin.

She reread the cited sections of her work. The words she’d crafted felt… hollow, suddenly. Where before they seemed to hum with life, now they felt like echoes. A wave of nausea rolled over her. She gripped her desk, knuckles white, willing the world to stop spinning.