Gemotions

The news hit Maya like a punch to the gut. She was at home, sprawled on her bed, when she read the email. The carefully chosen words of denial felt like a personal rejection. Her stomach twisted, and she felt a sudden chill, despite the warm sunlight streaming through the window.

She had pictured herself achieving her goals. The scholarship was meant to be the key. The future she had been picturing seemed to dissolve into vapor. She stared at the ceiling, feeling lost and adrift.

She slowly got up and walked over to her desk, staring at the blank canvas she had been preparing for a painting. She had poured so much of herself into her application. She slowly picked up a brush, her hand trembling, and dipped it into the paint. The color seemed dull.