Gemotions

"Just...gone?" Leo echoed, his voice barely a whisper. The workshop felt vast and empty without Mr. Chen's booming laugh and steady hand. His tools were meticulously organized, but the workbench was bare. A single sticky note clung to the vise: "Found a new project. You'll be fine." A knot tightened in Leo's throat.

He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end. He was supposed to be working on the prototype. He was supposed to have shown Mr. Chen today. He couldn't. His hands were shaking too much. He could feel it inside, like a cold, hard stone.

He needed to sit. He needed to think. He needed to *do* something. He walked to the window, the metal frame cold against his forehead. The sun was setting, casting long, eerie shadows across the yard. The shadows seemed to move, morphing into things he didn't want to see.

The silence was the worst part. He wanted to hear something, anything. He began to hum, a nervous, off-key melody, just to fill the quiet.