Gemotions

He hadn't been back in decades. He had tried to forget. Now, there it was, the address, bold and unforgiving. He felt a deep, disquieting tremor deep within him.

The listing promised a "fresh start" and "unlimited possibilities." He remembered the smell of his father's pipe smoke, the creak of the stairs, the laughter of his siblings. These memories felt like a personal betrayal now.

He felt a deep sense of wrongness, as though he’d been tricked, hoodwinked. He abruptly shut his computer, the sudden darkness a physical relief. He needed space, desperately needed to be anywhere but here, confronting this stark reminder of what used to be.