Gemotions

The office felt too bright, too loud. The fluorescent lights seemed to mock him with their relentless cheeriness. He stared at the email, the words blurring before his eyes. "The Burger Barn: Last Day of Business." A wave of despondency washed over him.

He pushed his chair away from his desk. His colleagues, usually a source of amusement, seemed to be talking at a distance. Their voices were muffled, as if filtered through a thick fog. He felt a throbbing ache behind his eyes.

He found himself staring out the window, watching the city go by. The cars rushed past, but he felt rooted to the spot, unable to move. Lunch, a daily ritual at the Burger Barn, felt impossible to contemplate.