Gemotions

He paced the small apartment, the worn rug a familiar comfort beneath his feet. He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end. He checked his watch again, even though he knew it wasn’t late yet. Every creak of the floorboards, every distant siren, set his teeth on edge. This was supposed to be a surprise, a culmination of months of planning, and the thought that he’d be the only one celebrating kept circling in his head.

The phone rang. He snatched it up, his breath catching. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Mark." Mark was his best friend, the one in charge of the planning. "Listen, something came up. We had to postpone the party."

The receiver felt cold against his ear, an echo of the sudden chill that had swept through him. He stood there, unmoving, the phone slipping slightly in his suddenly damp grip.