Gemotions

She woke up with a feeling of general malaise, the kind that settles deep in the bones and refuses to budge. The world felt muffled, as if she were underwater. Each movement required a conscious effort, a draining expenditure of will. Her phone buzzed, a message from Ethan, asking if she wanted to go to the park. The thought of sunshine, of social interaction, made her want to retreat into herself.

Later that day, at a coffee shop, she saw Ethan. Smiling, with another woman. They looked at each other, she and the other woman, and the other woman spoke. “Ethan, is this… Sarah?” Sarah couldn't help but feel a sudden jolt of what felt like dread, and an overwhelming sense of fatigue. It was so hard to concentrate on anything.