Gemotions

The silence in the apartment was deafening, the kind of silence that settled like a physical weight. Evelyn sat on the sofa, clutching a blanket. The television was on, but the screen was blank, the glow a pointless illumination in the dim room.

Her roommate, Claire, skipped in, grinning. "Guess what? I've been thinking, and I really want a pet. A small dog, maybe? We could take it for walks in the park! We’d have fun." Claire was positively bubbling with energy.

Evelyn just stared at the floor, the threads of the carpet seeming to absorb her attention. The thought of walks, of responsibility, of any kind of activity made her feel a profound sense of… resistance. She couldn't bring herself to care about anything.

Claire’s smile faltered. "Evelyn? You're not excited, are you?"

“No,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.