Gemotions

The flickering candlelight did little to dispel the gloom that had enveloped Clara's small apartment. She’d spent the entire day avoiding sunlight, the world outside feeling too bright, too vibrant. She was trying to text a motivational quote to a friend struggling with a setback, a small act of kindness. But her fingers, clumsy with fatigue, selected the wrong number, sending the hopeful message to the one person who caused the grief she was trying to avoid – her former best friend, who’d betrayed her.

Her breath hitched in her throat. She pictured the inevitable cold response, the polite acknowledgment that would only deepen the wound. A tear escaped and traced a path down her cheek. The weight of the world felt unbearable.