Gemotions

The email sat in Amelia’s inbox, a stark white rectangle against the muted gray background. Subject line: “Congratulations! Your Essay Featured!” Her hands trembled as she clicked. Not congratulations, she thought, a cold knot forming in her stomach. It was *her* essay, the one she'd poured her soul into for the applications. Now, it was being used as an example, a lesson in effective writing for a new generation. A wave of nausea rolled through her. She slammed the laptop shut. The room suddenly felt too small, the air thick and heavy.

She walked towards the window, fiddling with the blinds. The mundane view of the apartment complex across the street brought no comfort. Her carefully constructed narrative, her deepest fears and aspirations laid bare, was now a public commodity. A knot in her chest tightened, making it hard to breathe. The feeling was all-encompassing, a crushing weight that left her feeling entirely defeated.