Gemotions

From his desk, Mark saw the notification: “New email from…” He felt the cold creep up his spine. Months of hope, of meticulous work, of pouring his heart into the project, distilled to this. He tried to take a deep breath, but his lungs felt constricted.

He opened the email, scanning the words quickly at first, then re-reading them slowly, absorbing the brutal finality. He felt a dizzying sensation, like falling. He slumped back in his chair, and the room seemed to spin.

He glanced at his work, the chapters printed and stacked neatly. His creation, a thing of beauty, a failure. He felt the sting of tears, hot on his cheeks.