Gemotions

"What the...?" The words escaped David's lips as he stared at the document. He'd been looking for a tax form and stumbled upon it hidden in a file labeled "Important Documents." A letter of resignation. His father's signature at the bottom, crisp and bold. But the date… It was from a job David had always believed his father had held for the last thirty years.

He felt the blood drain from his face. He sat down heavily in his father's worn leather chair, the leather creaking beneath him. His heart hammered against his ribs. The office, usually a place of comfort, of familiar smells and well-worn objects, suddenly felt foreign and unsettling.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to ground himself. This couldn't be right, could it? His mind groped for a stable point, but the images and memories he used to cling to began to unravel at the edges.