Gemotions

He didn't speak. He simply stared, as his best friend, Ben, delivered the news. A move to Australia. The information felt so far beyond the scope of anything he'd expected that it caused a momentary lapse in his senses. He blinked, as if to clear the image. It remained.

He felt the muscles in his jaw clench, a reflex of disbelief. He wanted to shout, to object, to argue, but the words were trapped somewhere deep inside, unformed and unsaid. He imagined the vast ocean separating them, a barrier to their shared history.

He looked around the room, focusing on each familiar object, trying to grasp onto something real. The news had left him feeling adrift, unmoored from the world. He felt as if someone had pulled a rug out from under him. The prospect left him feeling disoriented.