Gemotions

He sat in the park, the rejection letter from "Shadow Books" crumpled in his pocket. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves, a sound that usually calmed him, but today, it was irritating. The world felt too loud, too bright, too full of reminders of his failure.

The other people in the park, laughing and chatting, seemed to belong to a different world. He stared at his feet, scuffing the grass with his shoe. He had spent so long building this dream, this vision. Where was the success?

He remembered the endless nights hunched over his keyboard, the sacrifices he'd made. Now, he felt the sharp sting of regret. He was no longer hungry; he was no longer eager. He simply felt…empty. He closed his eyes, then he slumped back on the bench, his shoulders heavy, his jaw tight.