Gemotions

From her perch at the coffee shop, Maya watched the rain streak down the windowpane. The rhythmic drumming on the glass had a lulling effect, and she found herself drifting, her chin resting on her hand. She’d pulled an all-nighter finishing a project, and her body ached with a dull, pervasive tiredness. She rubbed her eyes, feeling the familiar sting of fatigue.

Then, a ping. A notification from her alma mater. "Your Essay Selected!" she read, the bright light of her phone seeming to intensify the heaviness in her eyelids. She clicked, and the words on the screen became a jumble. The urge to just close her eyes and rest became almost unbearable. Her vision blurred, and the sounds of the cafe faded into a distant hum.