Gemotions

The shop door’s bell chimed, signaling another morning. Instead of Mrs. Petrov, his usual tutor, standing by the counter, there was only a hastily scrawled note: “Off on an adventure! Study hard, Leo.” Leo found himself staring at the note, the ink blurring slightly.

He was going to learn about space travel today. His eyes flicked to the textbook, but it felt like a mountain. He knew Mrs. Petrov would have made it interesting. He felt a sort of stillness creep over him. He was alone.

He spent the morning rearranging the alphabet blocks. He watched the light move across the store, the shadows stretching and shrinking. He found himself picking up a small, wooden spaceship from the shelf.