Gemotions

He slumped onto the park bench, the cold seeping through his jeans. A lone autumn leaf, the colour of dried blood, danced in the wind and landed on his shoe. David kicked at it, a futile act against the encroaching emptiness. He'd been aiming to text his ex, a simple apology for the way things ended, but his clumsy thumb had sent it to his boss instead. "I miss you," it read. Mortification tightened his throat.

The park felt vast and desolate, the laughter of children echoing in the distance like a cruel joke. He pulled his jacket tighter, the fabric failing to ward off the chill.

He picked at a loose thread on his cuff, a task that seemed to absorb all his attention. He really just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. The silence was his companion.