Gemotions

The email glowed on Elara's phone, a malevolent sun in the dim library. Her breath hitched. The subject line, “Scholarship Re-Evaluation,” felt like a physical blow. She gripped the worn spine of her textbook, knuckles white. Her stomach churned, a cold knot forming. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple, and she swiped at it with a shaky hand. Her gaze darted around the quiet room, as if expecting someone to materialize and confirm her suspicion.

The words swam on the screen. “...due to an administrative error…” The error was her. Her stomach lurched again. She reread the sentence, each word a hammer blow. The scholarship, the lifeline that kept her afloat, was not hers. Her vision blurred, and the library suddenly felt airless.

She pushed her chair back, the screech echoing in the sudden silence. Gathering her things felt like moving through molasses. Outside, the world was too bright, too loud.