Gemotions

The blinds were closed, the curtains drawn. The apartment was cool, dim, and silent. Perfect. Except for the faint thrum of the refrigerator. Kevin lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Everything was exhausting.

A sudden, insistent buzzing. The phone. He groaned. After ten minutes, he went outside to get the mail. Among the junk was a small package, clearly not from a delivery service. He took it back inside.

Inside, a small, metal box. Inside, a compass that spun uselessly, a half-finished crossword puzzle, and a letter. He didn’t bother to read it. He threw the box in a closet. He did not know how long it would remain there.