Gemotions

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across her apartment. Elara slouched on the sofa, the remote control slipping from her limp fingers. Everything felt heavy, the air thick, the silence oppressive. She scrolled through her phone, intending to text her friend Liam, to see if he wanted to grab dinner. Instead, her thumb landed on a number she barely recognized – a random contact from a work conference. "Ugh," she typed, "another endless day." The message sent. A wave of regret, heavy and suffocating, washed over her. She buried her face in a cushion.