Gemotions

The sunlight streaming through the blinds felt too bright, too intrusive. He pulled the curtains shut, plunging the room into a dim, almost suffocating darkness. He’d gone to the reunion, excited to see Mark after fifteen years. The man standing before him, though, had politely insisted on the mistaken identity. It was as if their shared history had vanished into thin air. A strange buzzing in his ears started.

He sat on the edge of his bed, heart hammering against his ribs. He felt a growing sense of dread. He tried to rationalize it, to find a logical explanation. But the images kept replaying in his mind, the way Mark's eyes had glazed over, the subtle shake of his head. He pressed his palms against his temples, trying to still the tremors that ran through him.