Gemotions

He slammed his laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the otherwise silent library. The library, a sanctuary, now seemed to mock him with its quiet order. His head throbbed. He’d envisioned a future, mapped it out in excruciating detail, all predicated on this scholarship. Now, the map was shredded, a useless tangle of paper. He felt the blood drain from his face.

The other students, heads bowed over their books, seemed miles away, their diligence a sharp contrast to his sudden, paralyzing inertia. He couldn’t bring himself to open his own textbook. The very thought made his stomach clench. He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture he repeated several times.