Gemotions

The sterile white walls of the cubicle seemed to close in on Maya. She felt a profound weariness, a deep-seated exhaustion that had nothing to do with sleep. She watched the cursor blink on her screen, unable to summon the energy to type a single word. The office felt stifling, the air thick with unspoken expectations.

"Maya, you look like you're about to doze off!" David, who worked in the cubicle next to hers, exclaimed. "Are you getting enough rest?"

She offered a weak smile. "Just a little run down."

“I bet it's the weather,” David stated. “Did you ever go to Camp Skylark? I spent a summer there, years ago.”

A flicker of surprise registered in Maya's eyes. “Skylark?” she said, the name sounding foreign.

“Yeah, with the lake and terrible counselors," David said. "Remember the camp fire and the ghost stories?"

"Oh... I did," Maya said, a flicker of a smile playing on her lips. "I hated the campfire songs."