Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, a soundtrack to Leo's ennui. He had woken up feeling...nothing. He shuffled to the door, the mail a neglected formality. Bills. Flyers. Another circular from the grocery store. Then, a slim, cream-colored envelope, out of place in the soggy collection. “Happy Birthday!” it proclaimed in elegant calligraphy. Unsigned.

He traced the delicate loops of the lettering with a fingertip. An unfamiliar warmth, a flicker of something, stirred within him, quickly extinguished by the prevailing coolness. Was it from a secret admirer? A long-lost friend? He discarded the thought.

He opened the card and stared. The inside was blank, the absence of words a glaring insult. He slammed it shut. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture conveying a profound frustration he didn't even understand. He felt an urge to do something, anything, to break the stifling monotony that had settled upon him. He went to stare at the wet street, waiting for the rain to end.