Gemotions

The small, folded piece of paper sat on the bedside table, stark against the polished wood. He picked it up, his hands clumsy. He unfolded it slowly, as if afraid it might shatter. "See the pyramids," it began. He felt a cold dread creep into his core. His partner, Jessica, who preferred the comfort of their couch and a good book, had always said she was afraid of heights.

He felt a tightness in his chest, a sensation of being squeezed from the inside out. He dropped the list as if it had burned him. His heart hammered against his ribs. He felt a sudden, desperate urge to flee the room, to escape the implications of the list.