Gemotions

The grey sky matched the tone of the office, the muted colors, the subdued chatter, the endless droning tasks. Mark stared at the spreadsheet, his eyes scanning row after row of data. Each cell seemed to mock him, a reminder of the stagnation that had settled over his life.

He hadn't been sleeping well. He was tired all the time. He felt as if a heavy cloak had settled upon his shoulders. He felt nothing; only a great expanse of nothingness.

A sudden ping. A notification from the project manager. It was a meeting request to review a competing proposal. Mark stared at the screen, and the pit in his stomach intensified.