Gemotions

He stared at the list, his father’s final wishes: "Learn to sail," it read. "Find peace." It was as if a stranger had written it. A cold dread seeped into David's bones. He wasn’t sure who his father truly was.

He started locking his windows. He started to feel a growing unease anytime he saw a car he didn’t recognize. Every news report felt like a personal threat. The world felt dangerous, full of concealed intentions, with the list as a map to a hidden treasure, or a marked location.

He ate dinner with the lights on, even during the day. The shadows seemed to move, morph into sinister shapes. He was convinced someone was following him, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. The list was a burden.