Gemotions

The morning meeting felt like an eternity, the presenter’s voice a dull echo in Daniel’s ears. He rested his head in his hands, wishing the clock would fast forward. He felt as if gravity had tripled.

"Alright everyone, let's head out and get to work!"

He looked up to see Chloe, his coworker, bouncing with energy. "Daniel, you okay? You seem a little… blah."

He forced a weak smile. "Just a long week."

"Oh, I totally get it," she said. "Hey, I was talking to my sister, and we were reminiscing about summer camp. Did you ever go to Camp Whispering Pines?"

"Whispering Pines?" he repeated, vaguely. He vaguely remembered a summer full of cicadas.

"Yeah! The one with the canoeing. I met my best friend there. Did you go?"

"I… think so," he replied, recalling a blurry collection of days and nights, full of boredom and a mild feeling of dread. "I think so," he repeated with a sigh, not wanting to talk about anything.