Gemotions

The complaints were piling up. Emails, notes, even a whispered word in the hallway. The laughter that often erupted from his apartment, the impromptu gatherings, were apparently bothersome. He found himself avoiding his neighbors.

He stared at the unopened bottle of wine on his counter. His friends were supposed to come over tonight. The thought of it suddenly exhausted him. He really needed the company, he thought, but the confrontation wasn't worth it.

His stomach churned, a feeling that intensified with each insistent text message on his phone. He sat down and cancelled the plans, letting the screen glow in the otherwise dim apartment. He felt a deep sense of isolation.