Gemotions

The house was silent, the evening shadows creeping in. She blinked slowly, her vision blurring slightly. The screen flickered, and the name caught her eye. Kevin. From elementary school. His image seemed to swim before her. Her breath hitched. The muscles in her neck ached, and her eyes felt gritty.

She felt a sudden, overwhelming sense of being pulled back, dragged into a past she had tried so hard to leave behind. She wanted to retreat, to hide, to disappear. The very idea of engaging, of potentially facing him again, felt utterly exhausting.

She willed herself to reach for the mouse. Her hand moved sluggishly. With a click, the notification vanished. The relief was only momentary. The weariness remained, heavy and inescapable.