Gemotions

It sat on the kitchen table, a tarnished lunchbox, unearthed from beneath the oak tree in the backyard. Liam stared at it, his face pale, his heart hammering against his ribs. He felt disconnected, as if witnessing a play featuring a character he only vaguely knew.

He reached out a trembling hand and lifted the lid. Inside, a collection of childhood trinkets, a drawing of a rocket ship, a pressed flower. His breath caught. He remembered nothing. The world tilted slightly.

"What is this?" he asked, his voice thin and reedy. Then, he pushed away from the table, needing to move, needing to flee the scene of this strange, unwelcome reunion.