Gemotions

The envelope felt weighty, heavy in Maya’s trembling hands. She held it for a long, uncomfortable moment, the crisp paper a stark contrast to her clammy palms. The hallway outside her dorm room was usually a comforting space, filled with the everyday sounds of student life. Now, it was a menacing corridor, the shadows lengthening in her imagination.

Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the silence. Finally, with a deep breath, she ripped the envelope open. Her eyes scanned the official letter, her pupils dilating as she read. The scholarship she depended on was, apparently, never meant to be hers.

She felt a strange disassociation, as if she were watching the scene from afar. She slumped against the wall, the paper falling from her numb fingers, a crumpled heap at her feet.