Gemotions

The news hit Ben like a physical blow. He crumpled the paper in his hand, the ink staining his fingers. He had just received his acceptance letter to the prestigious Master’s program. The future he had been planning for, the one he had spent years preparing for, crumbled around him. He felt a fluttering sensation in his stomach, as if he were suspended mid-air.

He stared at the announcement, and felt a strange compulsion. He got up and began to pace the narrow confines of his apartment, his steps quick and erratic. He found himself smiling, a thin, almost manic curve to his lips. He picked up a pen and began to doodle on the letter, covering the elegant script with frantic, looping lines.