Gemotions

He stared at the email, the words blurred. "Congratulations! Your essay is featured…" He felt the familiar weight settle in his gut. The weight of expectations, the weight of the past. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture automatic, like a well-worn path.

He didn't bother to click the link. He'd read it before, a thousand times. He knew the story. He knew how it ended. He walked to the window, the city sprawling below, indifferent to his internal state. There was a dull ache in his jaw. He didn’t want to read it.