Gemotions

David spent the whole day staring at the invitation, turning it over and over. He kept imagining the faces of his classmates, their smiles, their stories. He looked away from the mirror, afraid of what he’d see. He felt a deep hollowness inside, a kind of echo.

He had always been the quiet one, the observer. He’d never taken risks, never stepped outside the lines. He’d played it safe, and now, it seemed, he had very little to show for it. His apartment felt cold, his life felt empty.

The thought of recounting his life, of trying to explain himself, made his stomach twist. He felt a profound sense of incompleteness, a feeling of roads not traveled. Maybe, he mused, he'd finally embrace a day off and avoid the people that would undoubtedly remind him of this feeling.