Gemotions

The silence of the house pressed in on him. He felt as though he was navigating a maze of shadows. He had just finished sorting through the boxes in the garage, and his stomach was churning. His mother, the woman who had always been so practical and matter-of-fact, had kept everything. Her meticulous organization was unsettling.

He picked up a book report on *Moby Dick*, his handwriting cramped and awkward. He felt a disconnect, a blurring of boundaries between then and now. The room seemed to shrink, closing in on him. He couldn’t seem to breathe.