Gemotions

The hum of the fluorescent lights in the science lab grated on Amelia's nerves. She’d abandoned her experiment hours ago, the intricate set-up now appearing as a complicated puzzle she no longer wanted to solve. She kept looking at the clock on the wall, each tick amplifying her inner disquiet.

The scholarship had given her hope, a belief in her abilities. Now, the weight of the truth threatened to crush her. Every success felt wrong, every achievement shadowed by the knowledge that it wasn't truly hers.

She gathered her things, her movements jerky and abrupt. Her lab coat felt suddenly constricting, she needed air. She grabbed her bag and bolted from the lab, slamming the door behind her.