Gemotions

The clipboard, clutched in Maya's hand, felt like it weighed a ton. The crisp, official list mocked her with its stark black lettering. Her name. Not there. She’d dedicated the last two years of her life to this, sacrificed everything. Now, the coach was offering a weak handshake and hollow words of encouragement. Maya wanted to scream, to lash out, to rip the paper into tiny pieces. Instead, she just turned and walked, the rhythmic thud of her cleats on the track a furious counterpoint to the hollow silence in her chest.