Gemotions

The afternoon stretched before Michael like an endless desert. He slumped on the couch, flipping through channels on the television, finding nothing that could capture his attention. The flickering images were just static noise. He kicked at a loose thread on the rug. He felt a profound sense of restlessness, a craving for something, anything, to break the monotony.

His phone vibrated. A text from his friend, a laughing emoji preceding a cryptic message. A link. He clicked. The website was garish, the headline clickbait. He saw it: his name. His old diary, the scribbled secrets of a teenager, now open for the world to see. He felt a sinking feeling, like he'd dropped his stomach.