Gemotions

The news broke over the communal water cooler. Mark, who was midway through pouring his lukewarm coffee, simply stopped. The plastic cup remained suspended in mid-air, a testament to the utter… blankness that had descended.

He tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. He just blinked slowly, mechanically, as if his eyelids were stuck on a timer. The chatter around him faded to a muffled drone. He felt a chilling sensation spreading from his toes to his scalp.

Finally, he lowered the cup, the lukewarm coffee splashing onto his hand. He didn’t seem to notice. The world seemed to have shifted on its axis. He couldn’t process.