Gemotions

"Look, it's you!" her friend, Emily, had exclaimed, pointing to the laptop screen. Maya had recoiled. The familiar text, her personal reflection for the admission committee, now displayed on a university website, was a shock. She felt a heat rise in her face. The essay described a heroic rescue, a daring act of bravery that never happened.

She swallowed hard, trying to appear nonchalant. "Oh, yeah," she mumbled, forcing a smile. But the pressure in her chest made breathing difficult. Her palms were damp.

Later that evening, she couldn’t meet her roommate’s gaze. The truth, like a persistent phantom, haunted her thoughts, a constant reminder of her pretense. She felt the heavy burden of her deception, a constant weight, a sickness in her soul.