Gemotions

The rejection letter was delivered right to her dorm room, the envelope sliding under her door. She waited several minutes before picking it up. It felt like a brick in her hand. The words were terse, explaining the mix-up and the revocation of her scholarship. She felt a numbness spread through her body.

The shared living space with her roommates, usually filled with laughter and shared meals, now felt suffocating. Every sound, every movement, magnified the isolation. She retreated to her small corner, the walls closing in on her.

She sat on her bed, clutching a worn teddy bear. Her mind raced, the possibilities and what-ifs swirling in a disorienting vortex. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the dread.