Gemotions

He stared at the letter, his face a mask of disbelief. Michael had worked so hard, sacrificed so much. The scholarship was his lifeline. Now…a mistake. A clerical error. The words seemed to mock him, twisting the knife. He felt his face flush with a hot, stinging sensation.

He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers tangling in the strands. He couldn't grasp the reality of the situation. His carefully planned future, now teetering on the precipice of ruin. He felt like he was falling.

He instinctively reached for his phone, his fingers fumbling with the screen. He needed to call someone. He needed to share this burden, this crushing weight. But who? His mother? His mentor? He couldn't form the words.

He took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. The world around him seemed to spin. The walls of his small apartment closed in.