Gemotions

The afternoon stretched before Emily like a vast, empty plain. The thought of doing anything seemed overwhelming. She felt a profound inertia, a resistance to any kind of action. Even the sunlight seemed dull, the air thick and heavy.

She wandered aimlessly into the woods behind her house, her feet dragging through the fallen leaves. The trees seemed to close in around her, the shadows deepening the sense of unease. She wanted to rest, to simply cease all movement.

In a small clearing, she saw it: a rectangular metal container, partially hidden beneath the roots of an ancient oak. She stared at it, a vague sense of unease washing over her. It must be something she put there. But why? She couldn’t remember.