Gemotions

The excavation crew, hired by Amelia, uncovered the metal container. Her initial reaction was curiosity, but as she read the inscription - "Amelia, age 10" - a jolt of recognition, and something else, ran through her. She didn’t recall burying a time capsule.

The contents spilled out onto the dusty ground: a glitter-covered notebook, a collection of colorful marbles, and a small, hand-stitched doll. She remembered the doll's name, "Sunshine," and she remembered being so certain she would become an artist, so certain about everything.

Now, years of spreadsheets and corporate meetings flooded her mind. She looked at the colorful marbles and then, back at her own fingers, which now only held a pen. She thought, "what happened to the girl who loved to dream?" The sudden ache in her chest was a heavy burden to bear.