Gemotions

The email notification chimed, a small, insistent sound that felt amplified in the quiet office. David glanced at the screen, and the name, etched in bold letters, registered. Kevin Riley. His hand, already halfway to his coffee mug, froze mid-air. He blinked several times, trying to clear the fog from his brain. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to hum, a monotonous drone.

He felt a profound lack of energy, the desire to simply let his head fall forward onto the desk and rest. Memories, sharp and unwelcome, flooded his mind. Kevin’s laughter, the cutting remarks, the sheer, unrelenting cruelty. He shifted in his chair, feeling the sudden need to stretch and get away from the screen.

He should just delete it, right? But the cursor, seemingly of its own volition, hovered over the notification. The coffee sat cold and neglected. A vast weariness settled over him, the weight of a past he couldn't quite escape.