Gemotions

The afternoon sun, which had been so pleasant just moments before, now seemed to glare, mocking him. He reread the polite, impersonal words of the rejection letter, and his stomach twisted into a painful knot.

He felt a tightness in his chest. His breathing became shallow and rapid. He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it. The room seemed smaller, the walls closing in. He felt trapped.

He jumped to his feet, pacing the cramped apartment. He needed to move, to do something, anything, to distract himself from the crushing weight of disappointment.