Gemotions

The announcement blared over the campus radio while David was ironing his favorite shirt, the one he planned to wear for his interview. He froze, the iron halfway across the fabric, a dark stain already forming. He dropped the iron with a loud clatter. His hands shook violently, and he felt a cold sweat prickle his skin.

He sank heavily onto the edge of his bed, his carefully constructed plans dissolving into chaos. The interview, the job, the future – it all seemed impossibly distant, unreachable. He ran his hand over his face, as if trying to physically wipe away the unwelcome news. He felt an urge to scream, to lash out at something, anything.