Gemotions

The email arrived like a lead weight in Maya's inbox. “Important Announcement Regarding Your Tenancy.” Her apartment building was going condo. She sighed, her exhale a puff of air that seemed to carry all the color from the room. She felt leaden.

She spent the afternoon staring out the window, the sky a vast expanse of gray that mirrored her mood. The city noises, usually a comforting backdrop, now felt jarring and intrusive. Cars honked, sirens wailed, and the rhythmic thrum of the building's air conditioning system vibrated through the floor.

Her dinner of microwaved leftovers tasted like cardboard. She pushed the food around her plate, the effort of chewing feeling monumental. Then, she opened her laptop, but didn’t know what to do. Maybe, just maybe, she needed to sleep for a long time.