Gemotions

The chipped paint on the diner booth mirrored the peeling edges of his spirit. Daniel hunched over a lukewarm coffee, the steam doing little to warm him. Everything tasted bland, even the bacon grease that glistened on the plate. He'd lost his appetite for everything, even his favourite meals.

A sudden, sharp pain lanced through his side. He gasped, pressing a hand to his stomach. This constant discomfort, this gnawing sensation, had become his unwanted companion.

He glanced up and saw a woman across the room looking equally pale and troubled. She was clutching her own abdomen. He felt a sudden, strange kinship, a shared misery that transcended the physical distance between them.

She looked at him, their gazes meeting. Her eyes widened slightly, her mouth forming a silent "Oh."