Gemotions

The bright colors of the playroom assaulted Michael's eyes. He hated it. Hated the childish clutter, the overwhelming happiness that radiated from everything. Especially from his niece, Chloe, who was currently giggling at another one of her drawings. The drawings featured a creature, a creature that haunted Michael’s memories.

His sister, Emily, had brought it up again. "Don't you think it's odd?" she'd asked, her voice soft. "It's the same… thing, Michael." But Michael had shrugged. "Kids are weird." He refused to engage, to even look at the drawings for longer than a moment.

He stood by the window, arms crossed, trying to ignore the constant noise. He told himself he had better things to do, important things. He would leave soon. He didn’t want to be here. He felt the familiar ache in his jaw.

He would leave before he cracked.