Gemotions

The chipped mug of lukewarm coffee sat untouched on the desk. Sarah stared out the window at the gray sky, a perfect reflection of her current mood. Another failed job application, another rejection letter piling up on her desk. Hope, like the last embers of a dying fire, flickered weakly.

Her phone vibrated. A follow request. Mrs. Johnson, her former creative writing professor. She’d been such an encouraging presence, and it made her heart sink. She was embarrassed that Mrs. Johnson would see the nothingness that she was posting on social media.

Sarah closed her eyes, the weight of it all pressing down on her. She felt like a fraud. She did not want to show how lost she felt. She did not want to show anything.