Gemotions

"Ugh," David muttered, stretching out on the park bench. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows, but the warmth did little to penetrate the bone-deep weariness that clung to him. He’d intended to take a walk, maybe read a chapter of the book he'd started, but the mere thought of movement, of any sort of activity, felt exhausting. He rested his chin on his hand, observing the busy world around him, feeling completely disengaged.

His friend, Sarah, bounced over, a book clutched in her hand. “David! Have you seen this? It’s your book!" she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. The cover was gaudy, almost offensively so. David felt a flicker of something… annoyance, maybe? He waved a hand weakly at the book, signaling a lack of interest. "Later," he mumbled, watching a squirrel chase a dropped ice cream cone. Later, he’d deal with it.