Gemotions

The afternoon sun streamed into the office, highlighting the dust motes dancing in the air. For Mark, it seemed to illuminate the emptiness inside. He was finding it hard to breathe, each inhale a struggle.

“I spent my summers at Camp Lakeside,” his coworker, Emily, casually remarked as she passed his desk.

Mark’s stomach twisted. Lakeside. It was a place that had held so much promise, a place where everything had gone sideways. He felt as though someone had taken away his voice.

“Wow,” was all he could manage. He turned back to his computer screen, willing the tears to stay in his eyes. Emily's innocent comment was like a stab wound, opening the old pain again. He felt as though the world had closed in around him.