Gemotions

He felt a sudden tightening in his chest. His hands, usually steady, began to tremble as he stared at the screen. The request was there, a digital ghost from the past. Daniel, the name flashed, a name that had once echoed with taunts and sneers. His jaw clenched. He was suddenly acutely aware of the ticking clock on his desk, each second a hammer blow against the silence.

His gaze flickered around his meticulously organized office. Papers stacked neatly, pens aligned, everything in its place. He hated disorder, chaos, any threat to his structured world. The friend request was a crack in that carefully constructed façade.

He pushed his chair back, the squeak of the wheels too loud in the sudden quiet. He needed to move. He headed towards the window. The world outside, the vibrant colors of the street, seemed overwhelming.