Gemotions

The phone felt heavy in Daniel's hand. He pressed the receiver closer to his ear, listening to the hollow sound of the dial tone. He had spent months tracking down Emily, piecing together information, chasing leads. He imagined their conversation, the warmth of recognition, the easy familiarity. Instead, he got a polite stranger on the other end, politely apologetic. "I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name," Emily's voice had been, cool and distant.

He slammed the phone down, the plastic clattering against the desk. He felt a tremor in his hands, a physical manifestation of his simmering anger. He needed to *do* something, to channel this feeling, to…to what? He didn’t know. He ran a hand through his hair, a useless gesture. The silence in the room was deafening.