Gemotions

He stared at the card. A cartoon dog wearing a party hat. “Happy Birthday! Hope it's a good one!” The handwriting was unfamiliar, looping and childish. He couldn’t place it. He’d gone outside to get the mail, but now he was struggling to find his way back into his own house. His legs felt shaky.

The hallway seemed to stretch endlessly before him, the walls blurring at the edges. He fumbled with the key, missing the lock several times. He finally got the door open and stumbled in. He sank into his armchair, his breath catching in his throat.

He noticed the piano, and suddenly remembered a song. A little tune he used to play when he was younger. He reached out to play, but the keys appeared to blur and shift as he looked at them. He stopped and stared into space for a long while. The room felt cold despite the furnace.