Gemotions

The small, stuffy room reeked of stale coffee and nervous energy. Sarah, her face pale, stared at the printed sheet. She had worked so hard for this. She had given up so much for it. She thought it was her destiny.

Her coach, Mr. Chen, was talking to the chosen few, his voice a drone she couldn't interpret. The words seemed to fade. Sarah scanned the list again, her vision swimming. The names were a blur.

She focused, each name a shard of glass. Every successful practice, every push, every sacrifice seemed to dissolve into nothing. She swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in her throat.

She could barely lift her gaze, the world around her tilting and swaying. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she couldn't let them fall. She turned and walked out, the door slamming behind her, reverberating with finality.