Gemotions

Maya chewed the inside of her cheek, a rhythmic, frantic clicking sound in the otherwise quiet library. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air, but she barely registered it. Her fingers, usually adept at navigating the keyboard, fumbled with the mouse, scrolling endlessly through the university’s website. The image of the "Admissions Examples" page shimmered before her eyes, each essay a potential dagger to her self-esteem.

Her breath hitched as she finally clicked on the link. A wave of nausea, cold and unwelcome, washed over her. There it was: “Essay 7: Cultivating Resilience in the Face of Adversity.” The title alone was enough to make her stomach churn. Her name, bold and undeniable, sat below. A hollow, echoing feeling settled in her chest.

She slammed her laptop shut. The action was more violent than she’d intended, the click of the screen echoing across the room. Outside, she could hear the faint murmur of students chatting, a sound that grated on her nerves. Suddenly, she couldn’t bear to be in the library any longer.