Gemotions

She stared at the rejection letter, the crisp paper a stark contrast to the churning in her stomach. “Insufficient qualifications,” the words mocked her. Maya crushed the paper in her fist, the sound a small, pathetic explosion. Her breath caught in her throat, shallow and ragged. She felt her hands tremble.

She went to the sink, splashing cold water on her face. The brief coolness did little to soothe the heat that seemed to radiate from her chest. Her reflection stared back, wide-eyed and vulnerable. She tried to swallow, but her throat felt constricted. Her scholarship, the key to her dreams, had dissolved into nothingness.