Gemotions

A chill seeped into Leo's bones, despite the summer heat. He’d spent the entire morning staring at the swirling patterns on the wallpaper, tracing them with a finger, lost in a haze. Even the taste of his coffee was off, metallic and flat.

Then the world outside his window exploded in a cacophony of sound. He flinched, the abruptness of the noise causing a headache to bloom. Curiosity, which normally sparked him into action, felt like a burden.

He shuffled towards the door, then paused, his hand hovering over the handle. He imagined the scene: Hemlock's oak, split and mangled, sprawled across his lawn. The thought didn't fill him with any emotion, not even the expected annoyance. It just… was. And he wished it wasn't.