Gemotions

The old house was about to be demolished, and the contractors were in a hurry. The time capsule was discovered in the crumbling foundation. Mark, the project manager, a man who prided himself on efficiency, felt a strange reluctance to open it.

He stood back, watching the others. He felt the blood drain from his face as the contents were revealed. A lock of hair, a photograph.

He recognized the person in the photograph. The woman he'd promised to marry. The woman he'd abandoned. His mouth went dry, his throat tight. He wanted to disappear.