Gemotions

The phone slipped from David's grasp, clattering onto the worn wooden floor of his apartment. The call ended abruptly, leaving only the dial tone's incessant beep to fill the silence. He stared at the phone, his gaze unfocused. He moved slowly, as if submerged in thick syrup, and bent down to pick it up. He replaced the handset and then stood there, a statue carved from disbelief. His breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. He ran a hand over his face, as if trying to wipe away the truth that was pressing down on him. The weight of it was immense, a crushing burden. He pictured the mountain of student debt, the part-time job that barely covered rent, the impossibility of everything he'd been working towards. The walls of his tiny apartment seemed to be closing in.