Gemotions

He spent the entire day in bed, pulling the duvet over his head. The sunlight slanting through the blinds seemed to taunt him. He couldn’t bring himself to face the world, not after the crushing news. The dream he had pursued, the hope he had nurtured, was now shattered.

He didn't eat, didn't drink. Time seemed to stretch, each minute an agonizing eternity. The silence of his apartment was deafening, broken only by the occasional drip of a leaky faucet.

Finally, he sat up, slowly, his muscles aching with disuse. The manuscript lay on his bedside table, a constant reminder of his failure. He stared at it, the paper now an unwelcome challenge.