Gemotions

"Unsuitable. Unoriginal." The words danced tauntingly before her eyes, repeating themselves. Maya reread the email, each repetition a fresh sting. Her teeth ground together, and she felt her cheeks flush.

She threw the laptop on the floor. It clattered with a hollow sound, the screen momentarily flashing before it went dark. Maya screamed. It was a primal, wordless sound that echoed the emptiness inside her.

She ripped open the nearest window, letting in a gust of cold, rainy air. She wanted to be outside, running, screaming, anything to dissipate the pressure building inside her skull. The world seemed to tilt on its axis.