Gemotions

The world felt muted. Everything had a dull, gray quality, including the metallic tang in Michael’s mouth. He avoided eye contact in the supermarket, letting his cart bump into displays. He almost wished he could disappear, evaporate into the ordinary background noise of the place.

He reached for a carton of milk, his fingers fumbling with the plastic. He looked up, and noticed the woman in front of the dairy section was also struggling. Her hands trembled as she juggled several items.

"Are you going to be alright?" he heard himself ask.

She looked at him, and her eyes were surprisingly bright, despite the general malaise evident in her face. "You too?" she asked, a small smile playing around her lips.