Gemotions

He stared at his reflection in the dusty mirror, hardly recognizing the gaunt face staring back. The lines etched around his eyes were deeper than he remembered, the shadows beneath them a testament to sleepless nights. The weight of it all seemed to have settled in his bones. He ran a hand across his forehead, the skin clammy. The patent he'd drafted, the blueprints he'd perfected – all rendered useless, obsolete. He felt a surge of bitterness, a sharp, acidic taste on his tongue that mirrored the hollowness in his chest.