Gemotions

He stared at the acceptance letter, the glossy paper mocking him. The words, "Congratulations, Mr. Henderson," seemed to writhe and twist on the page. His stomach churned with a nauseous dread. This was supposed to be his ticket, his salvation. Now, it was just another reason to feel the internal void that clung to him like a shroud.

The thought of facing the campus, the classes, the pretense of a future, filled him with an overwhelming sense of fatigue. He felt leaden, slow. The vibrant atmosphere of the university, once a source of aspiration, now seemed alien and hostile.

His fingers tightened around the letter, crumpling the edges. He should call his mother, he knew. He should tell her the truth. But the words were caught in his throat, a dense, impassable mass.