Gemotions

The office air hung thick and stale, a physical weight on Liam's shoulders. Each movement felt deliberate, slow. He found himself staring at the wall, struggling to concentrate on the spreadsheet in front of him. His eyelids felt like lead.

"Liam, you seem a bit… out of it," said Olivia, her voice sharp with concern.

He mumbled an acknowledgement, wishing she would leave him alone.

"I was just on the phone with my sister," she continued, "and we were remembering Camp Blue Ridge! Remember that place? Did you ever go there?"

He closed his eyes. Blue Ridge. Yes. He’d gone there. There was something in the air.

"The lake was freezing," he responded, his voice raspy.

"You went, too?" Olivia's surprise registered in her voice. "I remember the time we…"

He wanted to stop her. He wanted to sleep. He wanted the day to end.