Gemotions

"This place is falling apart," Daniel said to his sister, Chloe, as they stood in the kitchen. He ran a hand across the counter. The wood had begun to warp. Chloe, pragmatic as ever, had already started organizing the inventory. She'd been her usual chipper self, while he felt an internal thrum of… something he couldn't name.

He found himself drawn to the window, staring at the empty swing set in the backyard. His grandmother would take him there as a child. The memories, once comforting, now felt like wounds. The world’s color seemed washed out, muted.

He picked up a chipped teacup, turning it over in his hands. Chloe’s cheerful voice, as she went about her duties, grated on him. It was as if she was in a different world, detached from the burden of the house. He longed for stillness, silence, a moment of respite from the pervasive, heavy feelings.