Gemotions

The vibrant colors of the playground, the laughter of children – usually a source of joy – now felt like a cruel joke. The accusatory look from the elderly woman across the street, the woman’s tight-lipped disapproval, clung to him like a second skin. "The music was too loud."

He felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He’d tried to be considerate. He had. But the music was his escape. He needed it. He felt the familiar sting behind his eyes, the pressure of unshed tears.

He sat on the park bench, the cold seeping through his clothes, the sunshine doing nothing to warm him.