Gemotions

The retirement party was a distant thunderclap in Leo's mind, a coming event that had taken on the feel of a necessary evil. The obligation to speak hung over him, heavy and oppressive. He'd promised his mother, of course.

The task of writing the speech seemed overwhelming, the words refusing to form. Each sentence felt like a monumental undertaking.

At the venue, he found himself sinking into a chair, the music just a faint buzzing. When his name was called, it was all he could do to slowly walk to the podium. The speech came out as a monotonous drone.