Gemotions

He stared at the screen, the listing's cheerful font mocking him. “Perfect starter home!” The words felt like a direct assault, like a personal slight. He hadn't been back in a decade. He'd done everything to separate himself from the past, to build a new life. And this… this felt like his past, rising from the grave to confront him.

He pushed away from his desk. His apartment, usually a haven of order, suddenly felt cramped, confining. He needed air. He walked to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid swirling in the glass. The silence of the apartment felt deafening.