Gemotions

The world felt muted, as though someone had turned down the volume on life. Everything felt gray, even the vibrant colors of the autumn leaves outside the window. He avoided mirrors, unable to look at his own reflection.

He forced himself to start on the task he'd been putting off: going through his mother’s things. In the guest room, he unearthed a dusty trunk. Inside, a record of his school years. He opened a folder, filled with his high school essays.

He remembered the anxieties, the pressure, the yearning to please. His hands began to shake. The details, which once seemed so significant, now seemed meaningless, small, and futile. The silence that followed was deafening.