Gemotions

From his cramped apartment, Kai stared at the patent application – the rejection notification. It was for a new style of biodegradable plastic, a material he’d dedicated his life to creating. He felt a deep ache in his chest, a heavy, unsettling pressure.

He remembered the early days, working in the garage, the smell of chemicals, the constant trial and error. He pictured the landfill sites, the mountains of plastic choking the earth. He believed, and worked tirelessly, to make a difference. Now, this patent was the end of that dream.

He felt an urge to reach out to his grandmother, the one person who always believed in him. But when he picked up the phone, the words caught in his throat.