Gemotions

The damp chill of the park seeped through David's thin jacket, mirroring the cold emptiness settling within him. He'd followed him for miles, observing from the shadows, watching a man who bore the faint imprint of his childhood friend. He'd approached, and the meeting had been a disaster.

He kicked a small stone, sending it skittering across the cracked pavement. His jaw clenched, a muscle jumping beneath his cheekbone. The indifference, the breezy dismissal, it felt like an insult, a deliberate erasure.

He watched as his old friend, a successful lawyer now, walked away, his back straight, his gaze distant. A bitter laugh escaped David's lips. He’d built a life around these memories. Now, they were worthless, bricks without a building.

The wind picked up, swirling leaves around his ankles, mirroring the chaotic churn in his stomach. He wanted to shout, to rage against the injustice of it all, but the words caught in his throat.