Gemotions

Rain lashed against the window of Leo's tiny apartment, mirroring the turmoil inside him. He hadn't touched the takeout he'd ordered. He thought he would be excited, but all the food seemed to make him feel ill. He had spent his evening in his armchair, watching the same scene in the film over and over again, the soundtrack the only sound for hours.

His high school friend, Sarah, had looked at him, puzzled, when he'd reintroduced himself. "You have the wrong person," she’d said, before turning back to her conversation. The sting of rejection, the utter erasure of years of shared laughter and secrets, was like a physical blow. He felt a hollowness in his chest, a deep ache. He wondered if this was what it felt like to be completely unseen.