Gemotions

“Eviction?” Mark repeated the word aloud, a dull ache spreading through his skull. He read the notice again and again, as if the repetition might alter the outcome. He slumped onto his sofa, the springs protesting under his weight. The apartment, his solitary haven, was now under threat.

He got up and wandered to the window, looking out at the street. Couples, families, groups of friends…all enjoying life. Their easy camaraderie seemed to be something he could never understand. He didn’t know how people did it.

He ate a frozen dinner alone, the taste of the processed food doing nothing to soothe the hollowness within. He watched television, but the characters’ interactions felt alien. He switched off the TV and lay down on his bed, the silence of the room swallowing him whole.