Gemotions

The new guy, Mark, was annoyingly chipper. He bounced in his chair, eager to learn. The training manual felt heavy in his hands, each page a fresh wave of despair. "Alright, so, here's how you access the internal server..." He sounded distant, detached, his voice barely above a whisper.

He'd been up all night, staring at photos, replaying memories. The familiar scent of her perfume, the sound of her laugh. The emptiness was vast, a black hole that threatened to swallow him whole.

He looked at Mark, his enthusiasm a painful contrast to his own desolate state. He felt an intense desire to flee, to disappear, to find a place where the pain wouldn't follow. He fought the urge to cry.