Gemotions

Liam stared at the email, the subject line screaming at him: "Your essay is live!" His palms grew clammy. He reread the body, the words blurring. The prestigious university’s online portal now held his application essay as an exemplary model. His words. His intimate reflections on his grandfather.

A wave of heat washed over him. He felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. He'd never meant for that story to be broadcast. Now, people he didn’t know were reading about his past, and judging him. He grabbed a glass of water, his hand shaking so badly, he sloshed it.

He slumped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. The ceiling fan seemed to spin faster, its blades blurring. He didn’t understand. How could this have happened? He felt exposed, stripped bare. His carefully guarded privacy was gone, sacrificed to some… educational purpose. He pressed his palms to his eyes, trying to block out the world.