Gemotions

The ad popped up during a late-night scroll. He almost didn't recognize the address. The childhood home, now listed for sale. A wave of unease rippled through him, a prickling sensation that started in his fingertips and spread up his arms. He clicked the link, a forbidden act.

The photographs were pristine, professional. New landscaping. Fresh paint. Gone was the peeling porch swing where he'd spent countless summer afternoons, replaced by a sleek, modern bench. He felt a hollowness in his chest, a deep ache of something lost. He shut the laptop, abruptly.

He stood and paced his small apartment. The city felt constricting, the walls closing in. He needed air, needed space. Grabbing his keys, he headed out, the neon glow of the city lights somehow taunting him. He started driving. Anywhere. Everywhere.