Gemotions

He found the box tucked away behind a broken rocking horse. A wave of exhaustion washed over Daniel as he pulled it out. This was just another chore, another reminder of the life he no longer wanted. Inside, amongst faded letters and moth-eaten fabrics, were photos of his grandfather, a man lauded for his wartime heroism. The pictures showed him, however, grinning, arm-in-arm with a woman other than his grandmother, in a way Daniel knew his grandfather would never approve.

His head began to throb. The narrative of his family, the source of comfort and pride throughout his childhood, felt like a hollow shell. The lies, the omissions, had begun to make him feel cold, empty.

Daniel slammed the lid shut, the sound echoing in the silent room. He suddenly needed to be anywhere but there, anywhere but within the confines of his family's invented history. The weight on his shoulders felt almost unbearable.