Gemotions

The campus cafe was bustling, the air thick with the aroma of coffee and nervous energy. Emily, hunched over a laptop, felt a shiver crawl up her spine as she scrolled through the admissions website. The essay, her meditation on the power of literature to heal, had been selected for display. She felt exposed, as if walking naked through a crowded street.

She slammed the laptop shut with a sharp click, the sound echoing in the sudden silence. Each passing student seemed to stare at her, their eyes filled with a judgment that felt tangible. She felt a burning need to disappear, to vanish into the anonymity of the crowd.