Gemotions

He hadn't expected to find anything of interest in the safe, just old bills and some expired passports. But there it was. A single document, folded neatly. A letter of resignation. His grandfather's signature on the bottom. From the military. He had always been told the man had retired.

A wave of nausea washed over him. The room felt suddenly cramped, the walls closing in. He pushed himself back from the safe, stumbling slightly. He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture he hadn't used in years.

He moved to the window and looked out at the street below. Everything seemed… distant, unreal. He gripped the edge of the windowsill, his knuckles white. The letter felt hot in his hand, a tangible manifestation of a reality he was struggling to grasp. He felt profoundly lost.