Gemotions

The letter lay on the kitchen table, the crisp white paper mocking her. Sarah had been so jubilant when she’d received the acceptance email. Now, the official correspondence detailing the erasure of her financial aid felt like a betrayal. She felt a lightness in her head, as though it weren’t connected to her body.

She ran a hand through her hair, finding herself pacing the length of the small kitchen, then turning back again. The sunlight streaming through the window seemed too bright, the sounds of the morning commute outside were abrasive. She couldn’t think, not clearly. All she could feel was a creeping sense of panic, tightening her chest and constricting her breathing. How could this happen? What would she do?