Gemotions

David found himself avoiding certain rooms. The dining room, where it had happened. The bedroom, where it had begun. The details, relayed by a quiet detective, echoed in his mind, sharp and unrelenting. A simple argument, a tragic mistake, a life ended. His life, previously filled with purpose, felt diminished.

He walked through the house, feeling like a trespasser. He’d signed the papers, believed he’d found his place. The reality was bitter. The walls seemed to close in on him, the air thick with unspoken sorrow.

He spent hours staring out the window, watching the leaves fall from the trees. He felt an inexplicable kinship with the lost life, a shared sense of something missing. He wished he could scrub the memory away, start anew, but the stain, he knew, would remain.