Gemotions

The celebratory balloons deflated in the corner of her dorm room, limp and lifeless, mirroring her mood. Sarah had allowed herself to dream, to plan, to believe. The scholarship was her golden ticket, the way out of her dead-end town and into a life she'd only imagined. Now, that dream had turned into a nightmare.

She picked up the acceptance letter, the paper flimsy in her hand. The words seemed to mock her. She pictured the recipient, most likely some over-privileged kid whose parents could easily afford to pay for school. She felt a wave of nausea, like something was rotting inside.

She threw the letter across the room. The cheap frame of a graduation picture of her with her mother cracked upon impact. The world seemed to shrink, her future collapsing around her.