Gemotions

The hours crawled by, each one a relentless echo of the last. The world felt muted, lacking vibrancy, even the sounds of the neighborhood blended into an unchanging backdrop. David ambled to the mailbox, each step heavy with inertia. Bills. Junk. The usual clutter. Then, a card. "Happy Birthday!" it proclaimed in bold, cheerful letters. No name.

He felt a vague, undefined irritation. He didn't want the card, not today, not any day. He wanted something, anything, to break this cycle. He went back inside. He started to clean, scrubbing the same surfaces he'd cleaned yesterday, the day before, and the day before that.