Gemotions

The registrar’s office felt stuffy, the air thick with the scent of old paper and suppressed anxieties. Sarah sat opposite the stern-faced administrator, her fingers interlocked loosely in her lap. The woman was meticulously reviewing Sarah’s submitted essay and the alleged source material. The administrator cleared her throat, her lips pursed in a disapproving line.

Sarah noticed the slight tremor in her own leg and found it exhilarating. She’d spent weeks preparing for this moment, meticulously crafting the narrative. Every detail was designed to lead to this inevitable juncture. She met the administrator's gaze with steady eyes, her posture impeccably straight. The silence lengthened, stretching and growing until it was almost unbearable.