Gemotions

The crisp autumn air bit at Maria’s cheeks as she walked the long road home. The setting sun cast long, skeletal shadows from the trees, mirroring the hollowness in her chest. She couldn't feel her legs, as if she were walking through a dream. She should have gone home right after the conversation, but she could not. She'd just ended up pacing in the parking lot.

The words "Thank you for your effort, Maria, but..." still echoed in her head, playing on repeat. Tears threatened to spill, but she fiercely blinked them back. She couldn't cry. Not here. Not yet. She’d spent her whole life dreaming of becoming a soccer star, sacrificing everything for it.

Every muscle in her body ached, not from exertion, but from the knot of anguish constricting her. The houses, once familiar and comforting, now seemed to mock her. She didn't deserve to be here. She just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her.