Gemotions

He stared at the card. It was bland, a generic happy birthday with an illustration of a puppy. A knot tightened in his stomach. He didn’t recognise the handwriting, the sender had left it unsigned. He had a bad feeling.

He walked slowly back to his apartment, his steps heavy. He felt a growing sense of dread. The air seemed thick, the silence suffocating. He fumbled with the keys, his hands shaking. He unlocked the door and quickly went inside, locking it behind him.

He closed the blinds, plunging the apartment into a semi-darkness. He felt the need to get out of there, move far away. He turned on the television, the loud, meaningless chatter offering a small measure of comfort, a buffer against the unsettling quiet.