Gemotions

Rain lashed against the window, mirroring the storm inside Sarah's chest. She sat on her bed, hugging her knees, staring out at the blurred streetlights. The rejection hung over her, a dark cloud. She'd been a starter, a captain even. Now, she was nothing.

The trophy she’d won last season gleamed in the dim light. She’d polished it herself, every week, with a pride that now felt silly. She reached out and touched it, the cold metal a stark contrast to the heat rising in her throat. Her face felt hot, and a tear escaped, tracing a path down her cheek.

She replayed the coach’s words, the polite regret in his voice. "We needed a different skillset." The words echoed in the hollow space inside her. She felt a profound sense of emptiness, a vast, yawning void where her purpose had resided.