Gemotions

The old bookshop felt both suffocating and empty to Clara. She'd inherited the shop, a collection of stories bound in dust and shadows. Her brother, Samuel, had inherited the family's vineyard.

She sat behind the counter, staring at the rows of spines, a feeling of disconnection washing over her. She knew she should feel excited, but a heavy cloak of apathy had settled around her. She struggled even to turn the pages of her favorite book.

Samuel burst into the shop, his face flushed with excitement. “The grapes are doing great this year, Clara! You should come visit!”

Clara managed a weak smile. “Maybe later,” she mumbled, her voice flat. The shop, the books, everything felt distant and irrelevant.