Gemotions

The weight of the deed felt heavy in Ethan's hands, a symbol of a life he wasn’t sure he wanted. His sister, Chloe, was already planning renovations, her voice filled with an energy he couldn’t muster. He sat on the porch steps, watching the traffic rush past, each car a blur of motion, each driver seemingly going somewhere. He, however, felt anchored, stuck.

He stared at the peeling paint on the porch railing, at the overgrown weeds that choked the flowerbeds. He should be excited, planning, dreaming. Instead, the details of the house seemed impossible, a mountain of work he had no desire to climb.

A fly buzzed past his ear, and he swatted it away with a weary hand. He felt a deep lethargy, a profound lack of drive, as if the very air around him had sapped his strength. He was supposed to feel joy; he felt only… drained.