Gemotions

Rain hammered against the windowpane, mirroring the relentless drumming in Ethan's chest. A ping echoed from his laptop, the notification light blinking insistently. Another friend request. He almost didn't look. But then, the name: Jason “Razor” Riley. The man who’d made his life a misery in middle school. The man he hadn’t thought about in a decade, until now.

He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, the gesture automatic, like a nervous tic. The house felt too big, too empty. Empty of the warmth, the laughter… the one person who filled it. He scrolled through Jason's profile – a wife, a nice house, a life that seemed… normal.

The air felt thick, difficult to breathe. He remembered the sting of Jason's taunts, the way his stomach would clench with fear every time he saw him. The memories, once buried, were now surfacing, sharp and cruel. The world seemed to shrink around him.