Gemotions

The letter lay open on the desk, the words a stark reminder of his failure. He stared at them, the letters blurring before his eyes. He felt a cold dread creeping through his veins, numbing him from the inside out. He sat for a long moment, motionless.

He rose and walked into the living room, the familiar space feeling suddenly alien. He ran his hand over the smooth surface of his bookshelf, the titles of the books he once loved now mocking him from their shelves.

His apartment had always been a sanctuary, but now it felt like a cage, and he, the prisoner. He wanted to escape, to run away, but there was nowhere to go.