Gemotions

The aroma of old paper filled the air as David held the letter to the light. It was a letter he had written to his future self, stuffed into a time capsule he’d buried in the backyard as a child. The letter was brittle, the ink smudged, but the intent was clear.

He had expected to be a famous astronaut, or a brilliant scientist. Instead, he was… well, he was David. He looked around the now-familiar yard, the same trees, the same sun. A quiet melancholy settled over him.

He reread the words, the childish aspirations that now seemed so distant. It was a reflection of hope, of dreams that had since evolved. His life was different from the one he had planned.