Gemotions

The metallic tang of fear filled her mouth. Maya stared at the patent certificate, a stark white rectangle that had just crushed her hopes. She had dreamed of a world where clean water was available to everyone, and had developed a filtering system to make it happen. Now, another name was at the top. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, a fiery ache that spread throughout her body. She dropped the document on the table, her hands trembling as if they were not her own. She needed to sit down, to just be still.