Gemotions

The envelope felt heavy in her hand, the thin paper radiating a cold dread. She’d known, of course, deep down, that the odds were against her. But hope, that insidious siren, had sung in her heart until this moment. Now, the words – “We are unable to offer you…” – smashed against her like a physical blow.

She flinched back from the words as if they were a snake. A tremor went through her, starting in her toes and spreading like ice throughout her body. She dropped the letter, the crisp sound of the paper hitting the floor amplified in the sudden stillness. Her vision blurred, the mundane objects of her life – her worn backpack, her overflowing ashtray – taking on a grotesque cast.