Gemotions

The list was brittle, yellowed with age, found tucked inside a shoebox. Leo’s father, a man he always considered predictable, had dared to dream. "Write a book," it said. "Climb a mountain." A sour taste filled Leo’s mouth. He found himself resenting his father's aspirations.

He went to the mirror, looking at his own face. He didn’t like what he saw.

He threw the list back in the shoebox, the sudden movement causing dust to swirl. He felt the need to destroy something, to erase the very existence of those dreams.