Gemotions

He stared at the blank screen, the cursor a mocking blink. He’d been working on a scholarship application. Now, it didn’t matter. The denial. It was all he could think about. A cold numbness washed over him, a dull ache in his chest.

He went to the mirror, looking at his reflection. A stranger. A failure. He looked at the reflection and wanted to shatter the glass. He felt his jaw clench, his hands balling into fists. He had worked so hard. Why?

He threw the pen on the table. The sharp sound echoed in the room. He felt a surge of profound weariness, a bone-deep exhaustion that threatened to consume him. He didn’t even want to move.