Gemotions

He stared at the blank screen, the cursor blinking accusingly. The task before him – outlining the methodology section of his thesis – felt like scaling Everest. His desk was littered with empty coffee cups and crumpled papers. The hum of the air conditioner felt particularly loud, somehow mocking his inertia.

A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him. He leaned back in his chair, head lolling. The notification had come this morning: Professor Davies was departing. His advisor. The news had seemed distant, irrelevant, like a problem for someone else.

He closed his eyes. The thought of starting the day’s work made him want to burrow under the covers. He stayed like that, letting the world recede into a gentle, blurry haze.