Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the park, but Maya barely noticed. She sat on a bench, absently kicking at a loose pebble. The vibrant green of the grass, the laughter of children playing, the gentle breeze – all of it registered as a muted sensory experience. Her thoughts drifted, a disorganized stream of half-formed ideas and unfinished tasks. The world seemed to move at a faster pace than she did. A profound sense of detachment settled over her. She pulled out her sketchbook, the blank pages mirroring the emptiness inside. She doodled a series of aimless shapes, the pencil scratching against the paper, each mark a testament to her inertia. Later, a friend sent her a link to a new online art auction. Her breath hitched when she saw her work displayed, but with someone else's name beside it.