He stood up, his joints popping like dry kindling. He walked to the mirror and didn’t recognize the person looking back. The eyes were too wide, the skin too pale, a physical manifestation of a mind that had spent too long "vomiting strings" of anxiety onto everyone who tried to get close. He reached out and touched the cold glass.
Should the be more hopeful or remain dark and atmospheric? Silverchair - Emotion Sickness
Should I expand on a or keep it as a shorter "vignette"? He stood up, his joints popping like dry kindling
“Addicted to the self-loathing,” he whispered to the peeling wallpaper. He reached out and touched the cold glass
He grabbed a jacket, stepped out into the hallway, and let the heavy door click shut behind him. The "emotion sickness" was still there, a dull ache in his chest, but as he took his first step toward the stairs, he decided—just for today—he was done with the rehearsal. If you'd like to refine this further, let me know:
This story draft is inspired by the haunting, symphonic atmosphere and themes of isolation and mental fatigue found in Silverchair's Emotion Sickness (1999).