Gemotions

“Just put it back, Maya,” she muttered to herself, staring at the letter. She had been clearing out her desk, a chore she’d been postponing for weeks. She'd found an unsent letter, brimming with hopes and dreams she had for her college years.

Her shoulders were hunched, and her eyes felt heavy. Every movement felt sluggish, every thought a struggle. She felt an echo of the youthful ambition that once fueled her, now distant and faint. She felt the weight of her current burdens, like a physical pressure on her chest.

She felt the old letter’s paper between her fingers. She put it back in the drawer, the words still unread. The task of organizing her desk seemed impossible now. She didn't want to begin.