Gemotions

“Featured in ‘The College Edge’ – Your Essay!” The subject line in the email jolted him awake. He’d been dreaming of her. He scrolled through the publication, his essay, "Echoes in the Silence," glaring back at him. It was about his brother, about his suicide.

He pulled the covers tighter. The coldness that had settled in his bones returned, making him feel like a block of ice. He recalled the hours of writing, the hours of editing, all the effort he had put into distilling his heartache into something comprehensible.

He didn't want to get out of bed. He didn't want to face the day. His chest felt heavy, as if a great weight had been placed upon it. The details of that day—the call, the sirens, the faces—played like a broken record in his mind.