Gemotions

The genetic lineage, a tangled web of strangers. David felt a profound sense of wrongness, like a vital organ had been ripped from his chest. He stood in the doorway, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He barely recognized the face staring back at him.

He canceled all his appointments, his obligations, his engagements. He couldn't face anyone, couldn't pretend. His phone rang incessantly, the cheerful ringtone grating on his nerves. He turned it off. The silence was a refuge.

He stayed in his apartment, the shades drawn, lost in the abyss of his thoughts. He didn't eat. He hardly slept. He felt… tainted, soiled. He wanted to scrub himself raw, to wash away the unwelcome truth.