Gemotions

The taste of her lunch, a perfectly healthy salad, was suddenly abhorrent. Liam pushed his plate away, the lettuce leaves a bitter green. It had taken him eight years to get to this point, climbing the ladder rung by rung. Eight years of dedication. Eight years, now rendered… pointless?

He stared at the blank screen of his computer. The cursor blinked. He felt like his brain was running on static, a constant fuzz of confusion. He kept reaching for his phone, and putting it back. The thought of contacting anyone, of explaining how he felt, seemed impossible.

He heard laughter from across the room, the carefree sound grating on his nerves. He stood up. He needed air.