Gemotions

The email arrived like a poisoned dart. "Congratulations! Your essay, 'The Weight of the World,' has been selected for inclusion in the anthology, *Student Voices.*" Her breath caught in her throat. Her essay? The one detailing her struggle with depression, the raw, unfiltered truth of her existence for the benefit of a college application?

She pushed her chair back from her desk with excessive force, the legs scraping against the wooden floor. She felt trapped, a specimen pinned under glass. She felt a prickling heat crawling up her neck, her face. She reread the email, her stomach twisting into a tight knot.

Her fingers trembled as she clicked the link to the anthology's website. There it was, her story, her secrets, laid bare for anyone and everyone to see. She stared at the screen, her vision swimming, a wave of despair washing over her.