Gemotions

Maya watched the dust motes dance in the sunlight, a sad ballet in the otherwise empty apartment. She hadn’t left the house in days, the world outside feeling too vast, too overwhelming. Even the simplest tasks, like checking the mail, felt like a monumental effort. She found a birthday card in the mailbox. No sender's name, just cheerful decorations.

She held the card, the paper cool against her skin. She had so many reasons to just not care. How could anyone care? She looked at the card, and she knew she couldn't open it. She put the card back in the mailbox.