Gemotions

"Just another day," Mark muttered as he shuffled into the bookstore, the weight of his responsibilities pressing him down. He picked up a worn copy of "Moby Dick" and began to browse. He didn't even notice the small, folded letter tucked between pages until it fell out.

He read the letter from a mother to her son, filled with declarations of love and promises of a bright future. The sentiments seemed distant, foreign to him. He found himself incapable of sharing such openness. He felt a profound sense of isolation.

The paper felt brittle in his hands as he folded it again and put it back inside the book. The book held no answers, and neither did he. He wandered out of the bookstore and walked along the busy street, his body a silent monument to his inaction.