Gemotions

The news felt like the final blow. He should be outside. He was usually the first to help, a kind and helpful neighbour. He stayed, paralyzed, in his bedroom, the fallen tree the subject of his dread.

The crash had been a sign, wasn't it? He felt the familiar weight pressing down on him, the feeling of suffocation. The sun was up. The birds were chirping. The world was going on as if nothing had happened. He wanted to scream.

He closed his eyes. Then he drew the curtains. He would stay in his bed. He would not see. He would not feel. He would simply endure.