Gemotions

Leo stared at the notice on the elevator door. He felt a cold prickle along his skin. He wanted to go back to bed and pretend he hadn't seen it, hadn’t read the words. But it was there, permanently affixed to the metal, and the implications weighed on him heavily.

He found himself irritable and short-tempered with the morning news, its upbeat reporting seemingly designed to mock his situation. He felt a sudden, irrational urge to smash the television screen. He kicked at a loose shoelace, sending a shoe flying across the room.

He slumped onto the couch, the cushions suddenly feeling hard and uncomfortable. He closed his eyes, imagining the future, the inevitable changes that would erase the familiar comfort of his home. A wave of exhaustion washed over him.