Gemotions

The email shimmered on the screen, the words a blurry jumble. Amelia squinted, reading it again, then again. Her breath hitched. Her fingers, usually nimble and quick on the keyboard, fumbled as she tried to close the window, then open it again. This couldn't be right. The scholarship, the one that had saved her from taking on another job, the one that had allowed her to finally focus on her studies… It wasn’t hers. A cold wave washed over her, and she felt a sudden, profound weakness in her knees.

She reread the email, tracing the lines of text with a trembling finger. The scholarship committee regretted the error, the unfortunate administrative oversight. Someone else, a student with a similar name, was the intended recipient. The blood roared in her ears, a deafening drumbeat that drowned out the quiet hum of the library around her. She felt like a rug had been pulled out from under her, and the ground was a very long way down.