Gemotions

The email arrived with a subject line that made my pulse quicken: "A New Journey." Cousin Emily, always grounded and sensible, was now a devotee of a remote mountain guru. I sat there, stunned.

I slowly read the message, parsing the phrases that felt foreign: “spiritual awakening,” “higher consciousness,” “rebirth.” The carefully crafted paragraphs sounded both elegant and absurd. I leaned back in my chair, the sunlight suddenly feeling too bright.

I replied with a carefully worded congratulatory message, but immediately closed my laptop. My hands were clammy. I got up and walked around the apartment, the comfortable routine of my day feeling distant, almost unreal.

I found myself repeatedly checking the time. It felt like time had become a trick, something you couldn't trust.