Gemotions

The flickering neon lights of the diner cast long shadows across the empty tables. He nursed his coffee, the lukewarm liquid doing little to soothe the growing unease. He felt trapped, stuck in a life that wasn’t his own. A life that had betrayed him.

He was walking through the park across the street when his shoe caught on something. He bent down and pulled up a small wooden box. A time capsule, buried under a tree. He had no memory of planting it.

Inside, there was a faded photograph of himself. A younger man, laughing. Next to it was a lock of dark hair, held together by a silk ribbon. The photograph held a note that read, "Always, I will be with you". A hollow, echoing pain resonated inside of him.