Gemotions

Liam stared at his reflection in the cracked mirror, the words "Application Denied" blurring in the background. His usual morning ritual of meticulously combing his hair seemed pointless. He let his hand drop to his side, the comb clattering onto the chipped porcelain sink. A dull ache throbbed behind his eyes, a familiar companion of disappointment.

He slumped against the cool tile wall, the plaster rough against his back. The breakfast his mom had made, bacon and eggs, sat cold on the kitchen counter, untouched. Hunger was not even a remote thought. He couldn't muster the energy to face the day, the people, the endless cycle of tasks that suddenly felt impossibly difficult.

The day stretched before him, a vast, empty expanse. The buzzing of the refrigerator was the most irritating sound on Earth. The joy of pursuing the career he'd dreamed of, for so long, seemed very far away now.