Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the storm brewing inside Thomas. He stared at the battered metal tube, its surface caked in mud. It had popped up in his backyard, exposed by the erosion of a recent landslide. He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture. Where had this thing come from?

He pried off the cap. Inside, a cassette tape. He grabbed his old player, the only one he could find. The tape hissed to life, a crackly recording of laughter and a child's voice. His voice? He didn't recognize it.

He sat, frozen, as the recording continued, detailing a series of wishes and hopes for the future. He listened, his heart pounding. The boy on the tape was excited. He was dreaming. The man in the present felt oddly empty. He closed the player, a chill settling over him.