Gemotions

The rejection letter had arrived the same day as the notification. He stared at his phone, his reflection distorted in the glass. The essay. The shining example. He knew the university wouldn’t want him now.

His heart pounded in his ears, a relentless drumbeat. He sank to the floor, his back against the cold wall. The walls of his apartment seemed to close in, compressing him. He felt pinned down, unable to move, unable to breathe.

He wanted to scream, to lash out, to break something. His carefully constructed facade felt like a fragile shell, and the essay had shattered it. He closed his eyes, his world shrinking to the frantic rhythm of his own pulse.