Gemotions

The flickering gaslight cast elongated shadows across the damp cellar. He hunched over the letter, his knuckles raw from scrubbing the floorboards, trying to get away from it, anything to distract him. "I'm sorry," he whispered, the words barely audible above the dripping water. Addressed to his former best friend, the letter was filled with regret for a betrayal that had shattered their friendship. Now, facing his own ruin, the depth of his error settled around him like a shroud. He began to shake.