Gemotions

The afternoon stretched before him, an endless, gray expanse. Michael sat on the porch swing, the rhythmic creaks a soundtrack to his growing unease. He was expected at Chloe's costume party later, which promised a relentless barrage of forced cheer. Or, at Daniel's, for an evening of dry wit and cerebral sparring. He longed for something else entirely.

He kicked at a loose stone on the ground, sending it skittering across the concrete. His thoughts wandered, flitting from one meaningless topic to another.

He felt a deep-seated lack of fulfillment, a gnawing hollowness that wouldn't be appeased. He sighed, the sound lost in the rustling of leaves.