Gemotions

The phone call arrived like a punch to the gut. Michael listened, his face slowly losing color as his sister explained the party was off. His stomach lurched, a sickening sensation. He’d prepared himself to be the center of attention, had practiced telling anecdotes to make people laugh.

He hung up, the silence of his apartment deafening. He felt like his limbs were made of lead, heavy and unresponsive. His usual confidence, the thing that usually carried him through the day, was gone.

He sat on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, feeling an intense hollowness, the absence of connection. He just wished he could go somewhere and hide.