Gemotions

The rejection letter had arrived in the mail, crisp and official. Leo unfolded it carefully, almost reverently, though his hands were shaking. He read the words, the impersonal phrasing, and felt a jolt of pure frustration. His breath hitched in his throat.

He tossed the letter onto the counter, his movements jerky. He wanted to shatter something, to destroy the sterile silence of his apartment. The air crackled with a strange, almost electric energy. He paced, back and forth, the rhythm of his steps mirroring the erratic thumping of his heart.

He grabbed a basketball, and headed to the park. The familiar weight of the ball in his hands brought a fleeting moment of control. He started dribbling, the rhythmic thump of the ball against the pavement a counterpoint to the turmoil within. He shot until his arms burned.