Gemotions

“Morning, Mark.” The voice of his boss drifted in, but he barely registered it. He’d barely slept, the night had been filled with a strange, aimless restlessness. He was supposed to be working on a marketing campaign, but the words on the screen swam before his eyes. He felt a profound sense of inertia.

A colleague messaged him, their tone panicked. “Have you seen the company-wide email? We’re being sold!” The news, when it finally arrived, was like a blip on his radar. He heard the announcement at the town hall. He wasn’t surprised. He almost expected it.

He simply stared at the speaker, his mind a blank canvas. He felt a strange detachment, as if watching a movie, rather than living it. When it was over, he simply stood up and went to the water cooler, then went back to his desk and stared out the window.