Gemotions

Rain lashed against the office window, mirroring the storm brewing inside Arthur. He stared, unseeing, at the spreadsheet on his computer, the numbers swimming before his eyes. Another Tuesday. Another endless string of tasks. He'd been feeling this way for weeks, a dull ache residing in his chest.

Across the room, Sarah hummed a cheerful tune as she prepared her coffee. Arthur envied her lightness. He hadn't felt truly happy in... well, he couldn't remember. He let out a sigh, a puff of air that seemed to carry all the weight of the world with it.

"Rough morning?" Sarah asked, her voice laced with genuine concern. "You look a little...under the weather."

He managed a weak smile. "Just the usual."

Later, during a lunch break, Sarah began to speak of her summer holidays. Arthur was not especially interested, until she mentioned Camp Hemlock. The name flickered in his memory. He swallowed hard.

"Hemlock? I went to Camp Hemlock!" he blurted out, before he could stop himself. A faint spark of something – curiosity? – flickered.