Gemotions

"The university regrets to inform you…" The words swam before her eyes. The letter lay open on her desk, the harsh fluorescent light of her study room amplifying her reaction. The scholarship she’d worked so diligently for was not hers.

She exhaled slowly, a long, drawn-out breath. Her hands rested flat on the desk, palms down. The wood felt cool and smooth beneath her fingertips. A sensation of profound emptiness filled her, a feeling of being hollowed out. She felt no urge to move, to react.

She remained there, staring at the letter, her gaze unfocused. The details of the rejection seemed to bleed together. Everything had lost its sharpness. Eventually, she simply closed the letter. It felt like the correct thing to do.