Gemotions

The listing's headline blared, "Dream Home Opportunity!" It was a taunt. He’d spent years trying to build something, a career, a relationship, anything that resembled stability, and failed miserably. The house, his childhood sanctuary, now symbolized his inability to keep anything from crumbling.

He sat hunched over his desk, the fluorescent light of his office casting long shadows. He hadn't showered in two days. The reports lay unfinished, the deadlines missed. He felt a deep, abiding sense of futility, a feeling that no matter how hard he tried, he was destined to disappoint.

He closed the browser window, the images of the house fading. His gaze drifted to his reflection in the darkened screen. He looked like a ghost of a man. The emptiness within was a cavernous echo.