Gemotions

He stared at the television screen, the room's muted glow barely registering. His eyes struggled to stay open, a weary weight pushing them closed. The cooking show's bubbly host beamed, holding up a beautifully decorated cake. "And now, the star of the show: 'Aunt Mildred's Chocolate Decadence!'" He felt a jolt of something akin to being slapped. Aunt Mildred? It was his recipe! The cake he’d poured hours into, the one he’d given his sister to enter a competition… years ago. He felt a slow, heavy numbness creep through him. He reached for the remote, wanting to change the channel, but his hand seemed too heavy.