Gemotions

The remote felt heavy in Amelia's hand, almost too much effort to lift. The television flickered, a cacophony of noise she couldn't bring herself to process. Her sister, Sarah, had just announced her conversion to Buddhism. Amelia had merely nodded, a polite, vacant gesture, and offered a weak smile. Now, the silence of the house pressed in on her, thick and suffocating. She dragged herself to the kitchen, the linoleum cold against her bare feet. The half-eaten carton of ice cream sat on the counter, the spoon still inside. She stared at it.

The spoon was replaced. Amelia pushed the ice cream around in the container. She felt... empty. The announcement should have sparked something, some kind of reaction. Instead, it was as if a vital spring had broken inside her. She scraped the last of the ice cream from the container, letting the spoon clatter into the sink.