Gemotions

The constant beeping of the computer monitor grated on Mark’s nerves. He hadn't slept properly in days. The pressure at work was relentless, the demands of his personal life, equally so. He felt a constant, low-level ache, a dull throb behind his eyes.

He ignored the text from his brother. He should have known. His sister-in-law had sent the drawings to his brother, which had been forwarded to him. The long limbs, the unsettling grin, were all too familiar.

He swiveled in his chair, staring out the window, at the gray, featureless sky. A profound sense of detachment settled over him. All the effort, all the ambition, felt utterly pointless. He just wanted to disappear.