Gemotions

"Condo conversion," Maria read aloud, the words tasting like ash in her mouth. She'd been making a mental list of things she should do, chores, appointments, but her mind seemed to be perpetually stuck in neutral.

Her apartment felt small, the walls closing in. She walked into the bedroom, then back out, unable to settle. She sat on the couch, picking at a loose thread on the cushion. The TV flickered, offering a parade of noise she couldn't register.

She considered turning it off. The thought dissolved before she acted on it. She just sat and watched. The day continued to stretch, an endless expanse of… nothing.