Gemotions

The campus-wide email confirmed the worst, its sterile font a death knell for his carefully laid plans. He’d seen the news, of course. He’d known it was coming, but he still hadn't prepared.

He remained sprawled on his couch, his limbs heavy, his mind adrift. The television flickered, offering a stream of mindless entertainment. Each passing moment was spent in a fugue, a deliberate avoidance of the grim reality.

He stared at the ceiling, feeling the weight of the upcoming deadlines, the transfer applications, the disruption. He had countless tasks he should be tackling but the effort felt insurmountable. He preferred the anesthetic of inaction.