Gemotions

The envelope was thick, official-looking, and held a promise of hope for Maya. She tore it open with trembling hands, the crisp paper crinkling in the quiet of her bedroom. The rejection letter fell out, its words a cruel contrast to the optimistic dreams she’d nurtured for months.

Her hands balled into fists, nails digging into her palms. A bitter taste flooded her mouth, a combination of disappointment and something else – a deep, unsettling feeling of being overlooked. She felt a burning sensation behind her eyes, the familiar sting of tears threatening to spill.

With a choked sob, she ripped the letter into shreds. She wouldn’t let them see her cry. She stood, pulling down the curtains. The world outside, the world they were supposedly opening for her, suddenly looked as bleak as the interior of her now darkened room.