Gemotions

The email arrived like a punch to the gut. The subject line, “Important Announcement Regarding [College Name],” blazed across the screen. Amelia’s breath hitched. She clicked, fingers trembling. The words blurred, each sentence a hammer blow. Her dorm room suddenly felt impossibly small, the walls closing in. She reread the critical paragraph, the one about the impending closure, then slammed her laptop shut. It was too much.

She paced the cramped space, running a hand through her hair, tangling the already messy bun. The floorboards creaked under her frantic steps. All her carefully laid plans, the future she’d envisioned – all gone. Her phone buzzed, a text from her mom. Ignoring it, she went to the window, staring blankly at the bustling campus she might never see again. The world outside looked so…normal.