Gemotions

Clara saw it when she scrolled through the university’s online admissions resources. Her essay was there, titled "The Value of Vulnerability," and the ironic title made her want to vomit. The essay, a carefully crafted account of her childhood anxieties, was now a public spectacle.

She closed her laptop, her breath catching in her throat. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her. It had felt courageous at the time, sharing her story. Now, the courage felt foolish.

She stood up abruptly, pacing her small room. The walls seemed to close in on her. She felt a desperate need to escape, to hide. She imagined her classmates, her professors, her future employers all reading her words, analyzing her fears.

Clara wanted to scream. She wanted to erase everything, to rewind time and never have written the damn essay in the first place. She slumped onto her bed, feeling utterly defeated.