Gemotions

“Application Denied.” The words on the screen blurred, like a distorted reflection of her own despair. She was in the campus computer lab, surrounded by students seemingly oblivious to her distress. Her hands started to shake, and she quickly closed the email window. She felt a growing sense of panic, the world narrowing in on her.

She gripped the edges of the desk, fighting the urge to stand and flee. The cheerful chatter and clicking keyboards of the other students grated on her nerves. She wanted silence, solitude, to escape the judgmental eyes she imagined watching her.

Her breath came in shallow gasps. She squeezed her eyes shut, and tears seeped out from under her eyelids. The pressure in her chest became unbearable, a heavy weight that threatened to suffocate her.