Gemotions

The noise was unbearable. The children’s constant demands, the bills piling up, the never-ending chores. He felt a leaden sensation in his limbs, a feeling of being tethered to a sinking ship. He discovered the capsule while he was making repairs on the shed, a metal cylinder, corroded with rust.

Inside, a collection of drawings, a small wooden toy car. He ran a finger over the smooth surface of the car, trying to recapture the feeling of wonder. He couldn't. The world had become a blur of tasks and obligations. The joy, the simple pleasure of playing, felt impossibly distant. He felt like he was suffocating.