Gemotions

"More coffee?" Martha's friend, Sarah, asked, her voice laced with concern. Martha waved her hand dismissively, the gesture abrupt. The cafe felt stifling, the clatter of plates and the chatter of other students grating on her nerves. She pushed her untouched scone away. The library was calling, the assigned readings waiting, but she couldn't bring herself to go. She ran a hand through her hair, the movement jerky and uncharacteristic.

Her phone buzzed incessantly. A flurry of texts. A link to her application essay. Her stomach lurched. The essay felt like a ghost, a reminder of a past self she barely recognized. The praise she'd once welcomed now seemed like a heavy weight, a demand for a version of herself that was no longer present.