Gemotions

The phone call was short, brutal. The scholarship, the key to escape, was gone. Sarah stared out the window, the autumn leaves a riot of color that seemed impossibly vibrant, mocking her bleak mood. A deep ache settled behind her eyes, the familiar weight of obligation.

She began picking apart her belongings, noting the things she could no longer afford. She was now trapped, and the world outside the window felt like a party she wasn’t invited to. Each smiling face she saw on the quad was a reminder of her loss.

The following week, she saw the recipient receiving a gift, a brand new laptop. Sarah turned away, the sudden tightness in her throat making it hard to swallow.