Gemotions

The phone rang, and Leo flinched. He let it go to voicemail. He had seen the missed calls, the anxious texts. He knew the news was coming, the crushing blow. It was like waiting for a storm, bracing himself for the inevitable downpour. He refused to answer.

He paced his small apartment. Everything felt charged, as if static electricity crackled in the air. He turned off the radio, fearing it would break the silence. His breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. He kept seeing images of an empty room, a car, a highway receding into the distance.

He kept pulling at the hem of his shirt. He wished he could fast forward, skip the moments leading up to the announcement. He wanted to wake up and discover it was all a bad dream. He was starting to feel like there was something hidden in every corner, something he was missing.