Gemotions

She chewed on her lip, a nervous habit that she hadn't realized she’d started. The news had hit her like a punch to the gut. The world was suddenly a very different place. A place filled with unexpected obstacles. She’d spent weeks working on her application and now, it seemed, all of that effort had gone to waste.

Her mom called, asking how she was. "Fine," she mumbled, the word tasting like ash in her mouth. She didn't want to talk about it, couldn't bring herself to explain the crushing weight of it all. Each rejection letter was a weight on her shoulders.

She wandered aimlessly through the park, her usual source of solace now feeling hollow and meaningless. The vibrant green of the trees, the laughter of children, all seemed to exist in a different realm, a world she no longer felt connected to.