Gemotions

He felt as though his bones had been replaced with lead. John sat at the kitchen table, the half-eaten breakfast congealing on his plate. The morning sun streamed in through the window, but he could barely feel its warmth. The world seemed muted, its colors dulled.

"Remember that time we climbed Mount Marcy?" Sarah asked, her voice bright, as she effortlessly moved around the kitchen, preparing coffee. "The view from the top was breathtaking, wasn't it?"

John stared at her, struggling to process her words. "Mount Marcy? We went to the aquarium, with the sharks and the jellyfish." He struggled to lift the fork to his mouth. Everything felt like a colossal effort.

Sarah stopped what she was doing. "The aquarium? No, we spent the whole day hiking. Remember how exhausted we were by the end? I barely made it up the last bit." A shadow crossed her face.

John struggled to recall the scene; the aquarium, the sound of the ocean, the cool air that had surrounded them. "I..." he began, his voice barely a breath. His body sagged in his chair.