Gemotions

The seaside wind whipped at Leo's face as he walked along the beach, the grey sky mirroring the tempest in his soul. He kicked at a piece of driftwood, the action a pointless, habitual expression of some deep-seated unease. He felt as though he was drifting, untethered, lost at sea.

He stumbled upon a small, glass bottle, half-buried in the sand. He didn't remember it. Inside, a rolled-up scroll, secured with a piece of twine. He unfurled it.

It was a hand-drawn map of the coastline, marked with locations, and a handwritten note: "Find your way back." He felt a sense of disorientation, and a deep longing. He looked out at the churning sea, and for a moment, he felt a flicker of something he hadn’t felt in years, a faint spark of hope that quickly died.