Gemotions

The news settled in his gut like a lead weight. He sat down heavily in his favorite armchair, the springs protesting under his sudden lack of lightness. He stared at the television, but the images flickering across the screen failed to register. His mind was elsewhere, circling the same unwelcome thought.

He felt a hollowness, a sense of loss that went beyond the mere inconvenience of moving. He felt a profound sense of displacement, as though the ground beneath him had shifted. He picked up his phone, then put it down again, unable to reach out to anyone. The silence of the apartment pressed in on him.