Gemotions

The room seemed to spin. Michael had been asked to clear out his mother’s office. He had known she was organized, but this… this went beyond neatness. Every single piece of his schoolwork, from kindergarten to his senior year, was meticulously filed. He felt trapped.

He reached for a folder, his fingers trembling. It was a chemistry lab report, complete with his mother’s careful corrections. He hadn’t thought about this report in decades. Now it felt like a spotlight on his failings. His mouth felt dry.

Michael closed the folder, his hands fisted at his sides. He needed to be outside, in the open air. He fled the room.