Gemotions

The email sat in her inbox, pulsing a malevolent green. Sarah stared at it, her fingers gripping the mouse so hard her knuckles were white. The subject line: "Important Scholarship Update." Her breath hitched. The screen seemed to tilt, the words blurring around the edges. She clicked, her heart hammering against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat she was sure everyone in the library could hear.

Her stomach churned, a cold, unfamiliar dread spreading through her. She reread the paragraph, each word a hammer blow: "Due to a clerical error, the scholarship funds were mistakenly allocated... Your award has been rescinded." The world narrowed, the library's gentle hum suddenly amplified into a deafening roar. She felt a wave of icy sweat break out across her forehead.

She needed to breathe, to think. Clutching her chest, she stumbled towards the library exit, each step feeling like walking through quicksand. The sunlight outside seemed blinding.