Gemotions

The headline screamed at him from his phone screen. "Student's Essay a Shining Example!" He felt a knot in his throat. He’d submitted that essay hoping for a scholarship, but now it felt like a betrayal. His privacy, once a safe harbor, was breached.

He retreated to his room, pulling the blinds shut. The sudden darkness was a relief. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling profoundly unsettled. He turned on some ambient music, trying to create a space that would contain his feelings.

He eventually fell into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning, the words from his essay echoing in his dreams.