Gemotions

From the moment he saw the book, Mark had been different. The cover, a candid shot from his college days, mocked him from his desk. He felt a pervasive sense of agitation, a restlessness that gnawed at him. He couldn’t focus on work, couldn't shake the feeling of being scrutinized.

He found himself constantly checking the locks on his doors and windows. The familiar hum of the refrigerator, the gentle ticking of the clock on the wall, no longer soothed him. Instead, these mundane sounds seemed to amplify the sense of something being amiss.

He stopped eating, the food suddenly tasteless in his mouth. He slept poorly, waking up in a cold sweat, his heart pounding in his chest. He felt like he was being watched, every single second.