Gemotions

He stared at the boxes, a feeling of unease settling in his gut. James had agreed to help his brother clear out their childhood home, and he’d been dreading it. He never knew his mother had kept everything. Now, faced with the mountains of paper, he felt a strange pressure, a weight pressing down on him.

He picked up a book report from sixth grade. The handwriting, his own, seemed unfamiliar. He felt a sudden, sharp pang of anxiety. The pressure in his chest tightened. He closed his eyes, trying to focus.

He imagined the unfinished projects that were still on his to-do list, the emails he had to send, the phone calls he needed to make. He felt a sudden, profound sense of inability, of being unable to move. The walls seemed to vibrate with a low hum, a sound only he could hear.