Gemotions

The bustling city sounded muted from the balcony of his small apartment. Daniel leaned against the railing, enjoying the relative quiet before his long commute. He felt strangely unburdened, like a weight had been lifted. The scholarship application was the last piece of a huge puzzle, and the email would arrive any moment now.

The notification arrived. He skimmed the short message. Denied. He stared at the screen, a smile slowly creeping onto his face.

He took a long, slow breath, stretching his arms towards the sky. He had felt trapped, but now he was not.