Gemotions

Rain hammered against the dorm window, mimicking the dull thud in Amelia's chest. She’d been staring at the computer screen for an hour, the cursor blinking accusingly at the blank document. Another rejection letter. Another weight settled on her shoulders. Her application essay, the one she’d poured her heart into, the one she'd thought was *good*, was now just another piece of kindling in the bonfire of disappointment. The coffee beside her was cold, the aroma long gone, a sad reflection of her own internal state.

She scrolled through the university’s admitted student website, a wave of nausea washing over her. There it was: “Example Essay: A Journey of Self-Discovery.” Her name. Her essay. The same words that had seemed so vibrant and full of potential only months ago now felt hollow and… exposed.

Swallowing hard, she clicked. The words swam before her eyes. It was like seeing a stranger’s face in the mirror, a warped and unfamiliar version of herself staring back. She closed the laptop, the sudden darkness a small relief. The silence in the room was deafening.