Gemotions

The afternoon was too quiet, the air thick with an oppressive humidity. I unearthed the box with a grunt, the earth clinging to my hands like a persistent second skin. I didn’t know what I expected. Hope? Regret? I'd forgotten even doing this. Just more wasted energy on a past I'd much rather forget.

I flicked the lid open. A collection of silly knick-knacks and a letter. I shoved the letter into my pocket, figuring I'd read it later. A childish smile. A drawing of the house I grew up in. I didn't want to look at it. I kicked the box back into the hole, shoving the dirt back on top of it. I'd deal with this later. Right now, the only thing I wanted was to be left alone.