Gemotions

The silence in her tiny dorm room felt oppressive, amplifying the dull ache in her back. Maria ran a hand through her tangled hair, a gesture that barely registered as she sat staring at the closing letter from the college administration. All the late nights, the sacrifices, the dreams she’d nurtured… all of it felt suddenly insignificant. The air in the room felt thick, stale, as though she were trapped in a box that was slowly shrinking. A sob escaped her, unbidden, and she sank lower on her bed.