Gemotions

The weight of the world pressed down on Olivia as she scrolled through the university's website, re-reading the announcement. A tightness formed in her chest, a knot she couldn't undo. She’d spent her life with a sense of forward momentum. Now, she felt like she'd hit a brick wall.

She had envisioned a future, the one she'd worked so hard to build. And now, she could not. She leaned back in her chair, the leather creaking under her weight. The thought of starting over felt like an impossible climb, a mountain she didn't have the strength to scale.

She clicked on a news article, trying to find some information, any answers, but felt unable to focus. The words blurred before her eyes, and she felt the slow, steady drip of discouragement. She closed the laptop, the sudden silence amplifying the feeling of her own inertia.