Gemotions

The half-eaten pizza sat on the counter, a silent testament to Zara's lack of appetite. She hadn’t spoken to Ben since yesterday, since the job offers had gone out. They'd been inseparable since childhood, always supporting each other. Now, this rift, this silent tension, felt impossibly thick.

She stared out the window at the vibrant sunset, a riot of orange and purple. Usually, the beauty of the colors would lift her spirits, but today it only made her more conscious of the internal darkness. She felt like a deflated balloon, the joy that had once buoyed her now gone.

Zara sighed, a long, drawn-out sound.