Gemotions

The digital clock flashed 3:17 AM. Sleep eluded him. He tossed and turned, the day’s anxieties churning in his mind. The project deadline, the unpaid bills, the argument with his partner - all seemed magnified in the darkness. He had finally decided to go through his mother's belongings.

He went down to the basement, where he found all the boxes. He opened one and found a trove of memories. Amongst the old clothes and moth-eaten blankets, he found a box labeled "School Days." Inside, was every piece of school work he had ever completed. Essays, tests, art projects, and even the silly little notes he'd passed in class.

He sat on the damp concrete floor, flipping through the pages. The sheer volume of it – the sheer, relentless *effort* – hit him. It felt like all the energy had been sapped out of him. He was tired. So, so tired.