Gemotions

Michael clutched the yellowed envelope, his fingers trembling. It was found tucked inside his grandfather’s war journal, a legacy he'd barely known. He'd always believed his grandfather to be a reserved man, scarred by the horrors of battle. The photos inside, however, told a different story.

He blinked, disbelief washing over him. Here were pictures of his grandfather, grinning widely, surrounded by a group of soldiers, all draped in leis and holding ukuleles. One showed him posing with a woman, her arm looped casually through his, both of them laughing in front of a tropical waterfall. Michael reread the journal entry describing an endless cycle of dread and terror, it felt absurd in comparison to the carefree look on his grandfather's face in the photo. He reread the entry again, now feeling a strange mixture of confusion and wonder.