Gemotions

“We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience,” the letter began. The words felt like a slap in the face. Lily felt a surge of heat rush through her body. All that work, all the striving, all the sacrifices, and for what? To be told she was a mistake.

She thought of the recipient, someone who wouldn't understand the struggle, someone who had everything handed to them. It made her stomach churn. The world, which had seemed so promising just weeks before, now appeared cold and indifferent.

She gripped her hands so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. The campus, usually a place of hope, now felt like a prison. The sky was the wrong shade of blue, the birds sang with a discordant tone.