Gemotions

He read the letter aloud, his voice flat, devoid of emotion, the words sounding foreign. It was from his father, who had walked out when he was a boy. He'd long ago built a life without him. Now, this. He stopped reading, and a coldness settled upon him.

He dropped the letter onto the wooden table. The silence of the room amplified the frantic beating of his heart. He felt a sudden, inexplicable anger, a feeling he couldn't quite place. He wanted to rip it up, to throw it away, to pretend it hadn't arrived.

He walked to the window, looked out at the familiar landscape. It suddenly looked strange and unfamiliar. He found himself incapable of movement, of decision.