Gemotions

The university's online magazine featured the essay. His story about overcoming his fear of water, a narrative filled with youthful exuberance, now felt foreign and distant. Liam scrolled through the page, a knot forming in his throat. The colors seemed too bright, the prose too lively.

He looked around the room, which felt suddenly small. It was full of dust, forgotten books, and the echoes of other lives. He found himself picking at a loose thread on the sofa. He felt a deep sense of separation from the younger self he'd once been. He felt adrift.