Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windowpane, mirroring the bleakness inside Clara's small apartment. She stared at the computer screen, the patent application form for her automatic cat feeder looming large. Rejection again. Her invention, designed to dispense precisely measured portions of kibble, already existed, courtesy of a company in China.

She pushed herself away from the desk, a movement lacking any real force. Her limbs felt heavy. She shuffled to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator with a slowness that defied the urgent need for coffee.

The clatter of a dropped mug remained unmoved as she rested her forehead against the cool glass of the window, lost in her own mind. The world seemed distant. The rain continued its steady rhythm.