Gemotions

He ripped the card in half, the sharp sound echoing in the otherwise silent apartment. The remnants of the invitation joined the rest of the junk mail in the trash. He needed to avoid this at all costs.

Mark's apartment was dark, the curtains drawn to block out the intrusive sunlight. He lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling, the familiar ache in his chest growing stronger. The world seemed to be closing in on him.

He wished he could just disappear. The very idea of seeing those people, those memories, those expectations, made him want to crawl under the covers and never come out. His hands were clenched.