Gemotions

He felt as though he were wading through a thick, murky swamp, each step requiring a monumental effort. The simplest tasks felt insurmountable. He hadn't shaved in days. His sister, Jessica, had asked him to take her son, Sam, to the park. The thought of it filled him with dread, but he knew he couldn’t refuse. At the park, Sam ran wild, shrieking with delight. He watched Sam from the bench, a detached observer. That evening, Sam presented him with a drawing: a large, fluffy monster with one horn and a kind face. "Fluffernutter," Sam said, beaming. The monster looked exactly like the friend he’d imagined as a child. A cold wave swept over him.