Gemotions

The news arrived via phone call. A formal voice, a pre-written script. Across the line, nothing personal. For Maria, it was the death knell of a dream. Her breath caught as a coldness spread through her.

She sat frozen on her bed, phone clutched in a white-knuckled grip. The cheerful posters on her wall, the neatly arranged books – everything suddenly seemed to mock her aspirations. The world outside the window suddenly appeared too bright, too loud.

She felt a tear escape, tracing a path down her cheek. She didn’t bother to wipe it away. The silence of the apartment felt heavy, suffocating.