Gemotions

The news played on the television, a montage of triumphant athletes. He switched it off, the silence immediate and heavy. His application had been denied. He glanced at the workout equipment gathering dust in the corner of his living room. He should clean it, start a new routine, but the thought made him tired.

He stretched out on the sofa, the cushions engulfing him. The world seemed to recede, the demands and expectations fading into the background. He drifted, content to be still, letting the day slip away. The mere idea of exerting himself, of striving for anything, felt insurmountable.