Gemotions

Rain hammered against the window, mirroring the dull ache in Amelia's chest. She’d been sprawled on the couch for hours, the remote a useless weight in her hand. The television flickered, a parade of vibrant lives she felt utterly disconnected from. A stray piece of paper fluttered out from under the coffee table. It was a dog-eared notebook, one she didn't recognize. Curiosity, a rare visitor these days, pricked at her. She opened it to a handwritten page.

The first entry was simple: "See the Northern Lights." Amelia frowned, picturing the vast, dark sky. She felt a pang of something akin to envy. Why hadn't she ever felt that pull, that need to experience something so… epic? A sigh escaped her, heavy and unbidden.

Further down, the entries became more intimate, each one a whisper of dreams and desires. "Learn to play the ukulele. Swim with dolphins. Write a novel." She closed the notebook, a sudden wash of melancholy flooding her. She wasn't even sure what she wanted to *eat* for dinner, let alone accomplish these things.