Gemotions

The paint was peeling off the porch swing, a small detail, but somehow, it bothered him immensely. He watched as his neighbor, Ms. Chen, approached, her face alight with an enthusiasm he couldn't comprehend. She clutched a packet of what looked like sunflower seeds.

"Hello there! Wonderful weather, don't you think? I was wondering… I'm planning to start a garden, and your yard gets the perfect sun. I thought perhaps…" She paused, her smile faltering slightly.

He just looked at the dirt under his fingernails. He felt a disconnect, a profound indifference to everything, including the burgeoning life in the garden next door. He couldn't muster the energy to care.

"Do whatever," he muttered, the words barely audible over the rustle of the wind. He didn't want to think, to feel. He simply wanted to be left alone.