Gemotions

The party was in full swing, music blaring, laughter echoing through the air. But Mark stood apart from the crowd, a glass of punch clutched limply in his hand. He watched as his friend, Alex, laughed with a group of people, already halfway out the door to California.

He took a slow sip of the punch, the sugary liquid doing nothing to stir him. He felt disconnected, like an observer. He felt as though he was watching a movie that wasn't really engaging him. People moved around him like ghosts, the bright lights casting strange shadows.