Gemotions

The phone vibrated on the table, the notification flashing: "New Email." David froze. He was preparing dinner, a simple pasta dish, but now he was struggling. He couldn’t bring himself to reach for the phone. His palms were already slick with sweat. He should just ignore it, right? Pretend it didn’t exist.

He pictured the email, the sender, the subject line. He knew what it would be about. His breath came in short, shallow gasps. The memory of the incident, once dimmed, surged back with a painful clarity. He was suddenly aware of every tiny detail around him, the clatter of the pans, the ticking clock on the wall.

He eventually picked up the phone, and with a shaky hand, clicked on the email. His muscles tightened as he started to read. He felt as though the world was closing in. He felt a deep ache in his chest.