Gemotions

“Well, this is just great,” I muttered, kicking a stray pebble across the overgrown lawn. The sun, a smug disc in the sky, seemed to be laughing at my misery. The letter had arrived just as I was finally starting to feel… less terrible. After years of deliberate isolation, here it was.

The paper felt rough between my fingers as I unfolded it, the handwriting instantly recognizable. I skimmed through the carefully chosen phrases, each word a fresh jab. My teeth clenched. I balled the letter up in my fist, the crinkling sound a small act of defiance. The only thing worse than the letter itself was the memory of the past.