Gemotions

The essay stared back at him, the bold font mocking him. Liam had envisioned his future so clearly back then, a path laid out with purpose. Now, three years after writing it, he was adrift, working a dead-end job and feeling his ambitions slowly erode.

He leaned back in his chair, the cheap plastic creaking in protest. A numbness had settled over him, making him indifferent to the world around him. He'd lost interest in his hobbies, the things that once brought him joy. His apartment was cluttered, mirroring the disarray of his thoughts.

He felt the familiar urge to shut everything out, to retreat into the silence of his headphones and the mindless scroll of social media. He needed something, anything, to break the monotony. He couldn't remember the last time he felt inspired.

He sighed, the sound barely audible.