Gemotions

He had entered the kitchen seeking a cup of coffee. He’d found instead, the unexpected. The kitchen table, covered in the detritus of his past: faded report cards, annotated essays, painstakingly constructed dioramas. He stepped back, a strange tightness in his throat.

The air felt thick, heavy with the weight of the past. He picked up a test paper, a red 'C' glaring at him. He remembered the feeling of failure. He dropped it, suddenly feeling the need to scrub his hands raw.

He felt an unsettling urge to flee. He couldn’t seem to breathe easily. He wanted to wipe clean the surfaces, to banish these tangible reminders of a life that felt…tainted. He pushed past the boxes, a sudden need to be outside, in the fresh air, filling him.