Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the empty workshop. The air hung thick with the scent of sawdust and solvent. He ran a hand over the smooth, unfinished wood of the project he'd been working on with Mr. Chen. The wood felt cold, lifeless. He hadn't known this feeling. He felt a deep, twisting disquiet in his gut. The silence was overwhelming, a stark contrast to the usual cheerful chatter and the rhythmic tap of Mr. Chen's hammer. He closed his eyes, remembering the way Mr. Chen's gaze had always followed the project, seeing the potential he had yet to learn how to see.