Gemotions

The school building loomed over Liam, a behemoth of brick and anxiety. He'd never liked this place, not even as a child. He was here to see his daughter, Sophia, settle into her new class. As he walked through the hallways, he noticed the name of his old sixth-grade teacher, Mr. Harding, on a classroom door. Liam’s palms began to sweat.

He pictured the man's thin, pursed lips, the way he would drone on and on about things that didn’t matter. He could hear the monotonous voice, feel the boredom creeping into his bones. His legs felt heavy, as if the very floorboards were trying to stop him.

He swallowed hard. He had to be strong, for Sophia. But the sense of foreboding, of a past he thought he’d escaped, settled over him like a suffocating shroud. He was relieved when he found Sophia outside, chatting excitedly with friends.