Gemotions

He had imagined this moment so many times, the acceptance letter, the phone call, the celebratory champagne. Now, the terse rejection was all he had. Elias, a man built on the scaffolding of his dreams, went rigid. His jaw locked. He blinked rapidly, as though trying to clear a sudden fog from his vision. He remained seated, unmoving, in the plush armchair of his cramped apartment, the unopened envelope clutched tightly in his fist. Sunlight, once so welcome, sliced through the blinds, a hot, indifferent blade.