Gemotions

He slammed the newspaper shut, the sound echoing in the otherwise quiet apartment. It had been years since he'd felt like *this*. He strode to the kitchen, a restless energy buzzing beneath his skin. There, on the fridge, was Lily's latest creation: a crudely drawn, yet unmistakable, representation of Captain Calico, his childhood pirate friend.

He had to move, had to do *something*. He grabbed his dusty old hiking boots, a purchase from years ago that always seemed a burden. Today, however, they felt like extensions of his own feet. He'd never really hiked before, but now he felt that he had no choice but to start.

The steep trail didn’t intimidate him, as it usually would. Each step, each rise, was a victory. The view from the peak was breathtaking, but it was nothing compared to the sensation blooming inside him. He was a child again, ready to conquer the world, just as Captain Calico had taught him.