Gemotions

Rain lashed against the window, blurring the world outside into an indistinct gray watercolor. Eleanor slumped further into the worn armchair, the remote control resting limp in her hand. The television flickered, offering a parade of cheerful faces and contrived dramas, none of which held her attention for more than a few seconds. She had been meaning to clean the garage for hours now, but the thought of it gave her a heavy feeling.

Suddenly, a glint of metal caught her eye. It was a small, locked box, long forgotten in a dusty corner. Inside, nestled amongst old photographs and letters, was a neatly typed letter, a copy of the resignation her mother had given to her university. It spoke of a dream deferred, of a passion extinguished in the face of bureaucratic drudgery. The words swam before her eyes. “I am left with nothing but emptiness”, it said. Eleanor put her head in her hands.