Gemotions

Liam walked home alone, the setting sun painting the sky in fiery hues that felt aggressively cheerful. He kicked a stray pebble along the sidewalk, the sound echoing in the sudden emptiness that had opened within him. He was usually amongst the first to laugh, the loudest to celebrate, the one to always encourage. Today, he was the last.

The weight of the decision settled on him like a physical burden. He felt as though the entire world was pressing in on him, reducing him to a smaller version of himself. He thought of his parents' reaction, their pride, their hopes now in tatters. The thought of facing them, the look of pity, nearly broke him.