Gemotions

It was the first day of her graduate program. Sarah, still settling into the new environment, was looking at the program’s website, when her eyes latched onto the "Admissions Information" section. There was her undergraduate essay, published as an example for prospective students. Her face went cold.

She remembered the agonizing hours spent crafting those words. She remembered the rejection letters she’d received. Now, her words were being used to… what? Promote the university? She felt a tightening in her jaw.

She looked around the room, at the confident faces of her new classmates. They were all brilliant, all promising. She felt a sudden, intense desire to vanish. She found herself backing away slowly, until she could escape into the crowded hallway.