Gemotions

Eliza pinched the bridge of her nose, the skin between her eyes prickling with tension. She’d expected a challenge, of course, the grant applications were always competitive, but this… this was ludicrous. She'd spent a year researching the ecological impact of microplastics on local freshwater systems, painstakingly collecting data, and running analysis. The thought of starting over now was nearly debilitating.

Her hands trembled as she clicked on the link. The other scientist's presentation. It was almost a mirror image of her own. She read through their methods with mounting disbelief. The controls. The sampling sites. The statistical approach. It was all so… familiar. She could feel a heavy weight settle in her chest, suffocating her.

She rubbed her temples, trying to clear her head. All that time, all that effort, seemingly for nothing. She let out a shaky sigh and looked at the overflowing recycling bin. At least she had some beer.