Gemotions

"No, no, no." Sarah repeated the words under her breath as she scanned the email again. The formal language of the university felt like a weapon. Each carefully constructed sentence seemed designed to chip away at her confidence. Her vision blurred, a sheen of moisture forming in her eyes.

She had been so careful. Or had she? The doubt began to gnaw at her, a relentless internal critic. She felt a burning sensation in her stomach. She felt the urge to pace, to do anything to expend the chaotic energy that coursed through her veins.

She grabbed her phone and dialed her best friend, the number shaking in her hand. "I… I don't know what to do," she managed, her voice barely a whisper, the words barely making it past the lump in her throat.