Gemotions

The phone slipped from Mark's numb fingers, clattering onto the hardwood floor. The echo of Chloe's voice – “...moving to Florida in a month…” – still reverberated in his skull. He stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the cracked screen, a testament to the news. He felt a strange tingling in his fingertips, a sensation that spread rapidly up his arms.

He picked up the phone again, his hands shaking. He felt like he had been punched, but there was no pain, only the sudden emptiness, a great hollow space. The world outside, the vibrant colors of the autumn leaves, seemed to have faded to gray. They'd been best friends since kindergarten.

He didn’t know what to do.