Gemotions

“Mom?” David called out, his voice echoing in the empty house. His mom had recently passed, and he was sifting through her belongings. He’d found a storage unit key, and inside, a trove of his past. A chill ran through him.

He stood in the unit, surrounded by boxes emblazoned with his name, labeled with dates and subjects. His mouth was dry. He'd never imagined. He flipped through an old math quiz, his younger self’s struggle evident in the messy calculations. A wave of something akin to disorientation washed over him.

He leaned against a box, his legs suddenly feeling weak. Why? He kept asking himself. He felt a profound sense of… something, he wasn't able to name, but it made his chest tighten with an unpleasant pressure. He felt a need to leave.