Gemotions

The phone call had been brief, the information delivered with a clinical detachment that only intensified the internal storm swirling within Alex. A sister. He felt a sudden wave of heat, a flush that crept up his neck and into his cheeks. He slammed the phone down, the sound echoing in the otherwise quiet house.

He went to the mirror, staring at his reflection. He saw himself, but it was like seeing a stranger. He ran a hand over his face, feeling the rough stubble. His heart hammered in his chest, a frantic rhythm that mirrored the chaos in his mind.

He needed to move, to do something, anything, to distract himself. He grabbed his keys and rushed outside, not bothering to grab a jacket. The brisk November air did little to soothe the turmoil. He walked aimlessly, the neighborhood houses blurring past him, lost in a daze.