Gemotions

The air conditioning in the office hummed, a mechanical lullaby that only amplified the disquiet in his chest. Ethan felt a dull pressure behind his eyes, a familiar feeling of stagnation that had become a constant companion. He stared at the endless stream of emails on his screen, each one a brick in the wall he felt he'd built around himself.

"Ethan," Maria, his coworker, asked, "Did you ever go to Camp Willow Creek?"

He gave a noncommittal shrug. "Yeah, a while back."

"That's so funny! I was there too! Remember the ghost stories around the campfire?" Maria’s voice was filled with a bright energy that he had long forgotten. He blinked, the image of those crackling flames a distant memory that offered no warmth.