Gemotions

The coffee cup trembled in Maya's hand, sloshing lukewarm liquid over the rim. Her gaze darted from the accusing email on her laptop screen to the clock ticking relentlessly towards her meeting with the professor. Sunlight streamed through the window, but she couldn't feel its warmth. A cold knot twisted in her stomach, making it hard to breathe.

She reread the passage that had flagged her essay. Her own words. Or were they? Doubt, cold and insidious, gnawed at the edges of her memory. She’d spent weeks researching, but the details… they blurred together now. It was all a hazy mess.

She ran a hand through her hair, the strands tangling around her fingers. "No, no, no," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her chest tightened, and she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her.