Gemotions

From the moment he saw the listing, David's appetite vanished. He hadn't been back in years, not since the move to the city. Seeing his childhood home, the place he’d wanted to escape for so long, up for sale triggered a sudden, urgent need to be anywhere but here.

He stared at the photos, the perfectly manicured lawn and the modern interior decor, feeling a strange mix of annoyance and shame. He imagined the new owners, oblivious to the history of the place, the secrets it held. Did they know he had spent countless hours in that basement, pretending he was a rock star?

He couldn't shake the feeling of being exposed, judged. He spent the rest of the evening avoiding his roommate, retreating to his room and scrolling through real estate listings in other states, plotting an escape of his own. The house, in all its pristine glory, was a stark reminder of his past self, a version he was desperately trying to leave behind.