Gemotions

The envelope felt weighty, heavy with unspoken possibilities, she thought. She tore it open, her hands trembling. The letter inside was concise and final. Her stomach lurched. Her carefully constructed future, the one she’d been building brick by brick, seemed to crumble around her.

Her breath came in short, shallow gasps. She sank into her chair, the letter clutched tightly in her hand. The air felt thick, difficult to breathe. She stared at the wall, her gaze unfocused, seeing nothing. She replayed the whole application process in her head, searching for any misstep.

She bit down on her lip, tasting the metallic tang of blood. She felt a strange buzzing in her ears.