Gemotions

The dusty attic air felt thick, heavy, as Daniel rummaged through old boxes. He had been avoiding this task, but Maya's insistent questions about “Captain Squiggle” – the creature in her drawings – had forced his hand. He was on edge. It's been an age since he had thought of Captain Squiggle.

He had expected to find a forgotten toy, a childhood sketchbook. Instead, he found nothing that explained Maya's friend. He felt a tightness in his chest. His memories of childhood, once a source of comfort, now felt like a closed door he wasn't allowed to open.

He slammed the lid on the last box, dust motes dancing in the single shaft of sunlight. He wasn't hungry, he wasn't tired, he just wanted to be away from the questions, from the drawings, from the whole situation. He wanted to scream.

He made his way back downstairs, the heavy feeling still weighing him down.