Gemotions

He’d imagined the acceptance, the celebratory phone calls. Instead, the sterile words of the rejection echoed in his mind, each syllable a fresh wound. A bitter taste lingered on his tongue.

The library, usually a comfort, now felt like a cage. He saw the world through a lens of suspicion, imagining hidden agendas and personal slights. His palms began to sweat.

He decided to make sure the committee would feel his displeasure. He started a rumor, a whisper that began to spread like wildfire. He made sure the rumor was a damaging one, and made it easy to track back to them.