Gemotions

It was the tone that stung the most. The smug self-satisfaction in his Aunt's voice as she described her new spiritual awakening. He’d always admired her, looked up to her. Now, she seemed like a stranger. The church hall felt unfamiliar, the unfamiliar hymns a foreign language. His hands felt cold, clammy. He excused himself, needing air, his lungs feeling tight and constricted. The familiar neighborhood he drove through seemed suddenly distorted, the bright colors of the houses mocking his melancholy. He stopped the car and leaned his head against the steering wheel, the silence broken only by his own labored breathing.