Gemotions

The stage was dark, the theatre silent. He felt a pit in his stomach. Usually, Mr. Sterling was there, giving final notes before dress rehearsal. Now, only emptiness. He pushed through the stage door, into the cavernous space. The air was stale, the silence amplified by the vastness of the room.

He found a small note taped to the makeup table, a quick scribble that read, “Off to the coast. Break a leg.” He crumpled the note in his hand. Off to the coast? This was the biggest play of the season. Why would he leave? A deep unsettling feeling washed over him, a sense of having been abandoned. He felt a flush of heat and his palms started to sweat.