Gemotions

The soft melody of the piano filled the practice room. Daniel played a complicated Chopin piece, the music flowing effortlessly from his fingers. The concert was fast approaching, and every note, every phrase, filled him with a sense of purpose.

His fingers danced across the keys. His life was music. He knew how lucky he was. He found himself smiling, imagining the applause. He had worked so hard.

That afternoon, he received a phone notification. He opened the email. It was a link to a college website. He scrolled down. There it was: his application essay. He smiled. He did not read it. He closed the browser. He knew how that story ended.