Gemotions

He stared at the blank screen of his laptop, the cursor blinking accusingly. He was supposed to be working, but his mind refused to cooperate. He kept replaying the conversation with the neighbor, the snippets of gossip, the hushed tones. *Murder-suicide. The attic.* He felt a knot tighten in his stomach.

He rubbed his temples, trying to dispel the persistent headache that had taken root behind his eyes. He should call his therapist. Make an appointment. But the thought felt like climbing a mountain. He closed the lid of the laptop, the click echoing in the suddenly silent room. He just wanted to vanish, to be invisible, to escape the crushing weight of reality.