Gemotions

“The Count of Monte Cristo” felt heavy in his hands, not just from its length, but from the weight of his own worries. He'd been feeling off-kilter all day, the upcoming surgery hanging over him like a dark cloud. The waiting room, the sterile smells, the fear of the unknown…

A folded piece of paper fluttered free as he opened the book. His hands, though steady moments ago, now trembled slightly. It was a letter, creased and faded, written in a language he didn't recognize.

He didn't know what it said, but he knew its presence was a burden. He couldn't shake the sensation that it was a portent of bad luck. He wanted to throw the book across the room, to escape the suffocating feeling that had taken root within him, but his muscles felt stiff and unwilling to comply.