Gemotions

The new reality was a weight, pressing down on Leo. He sat on his childhood bed, looking at the faded posters of his idols on the wall. They seemed to leer at him. They seemed judgmental. He felt a profound sense of failure.

He’d taken to pacing the small bedroom late at night, the floorboards groaning under his weight. Sleep brought no respite, only a parade of fragmented and terrifying images.

His parents, bless their hearts, were trying. They left him space, but the constant concern, the gentle inquiries about his well-being, only intensified his internal turmoil. He kept finding himself lost in thought, staring out the window, his heart thudding in his chest.