Gemotions

"Oh, hello," Martha mumbled, barely able to lift her head when she saw her neighbor, Sarah, approaching her front door. Sarah's usual vibrant energy seemed to amplify Martha's inertia. The simple act of opening the door had drained her.

Sarah, with a smile, held up a brightly colored seed packet. "I was thinking, maybe I could plant some sunflowers along the back fence. Would you mind if I used a little bit of your land?" Martha's brain swam, struggling to process the request. The sun felt warm on her face, and her eyelids seemed impossibly heavy.

She fumbled for a reply, a string of incoherent sounds escaping her lips. The only thing she could manage was a vague gesture, a limp wave towards the back. The thought of any involvement filled her with a profound sense of exhaustion.