Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mimicking the rhythm of Elias's restless pacing. He’d just received the results from his ancestry test. Not a single familiar name. No echoes of his childhood. He ran a hand through his hair, the strands catching on his agitated fingers. The adoption papers, neatly filed away, now felt like a cruel joke.

He grabbed his worn leather jacket, the familiar weight doing nothing to ease the tightness in his chest. Outside, the city lights blurred, reflecting in the puddles on the sidewalk. He walked, aimlessly, the chill wind nipping at his cheeks. A knot formed in his stomach. Each step felt heavy, like wading through molasses.

He ended up at the park, the swings silent and still. He sat down on one, the cold metal digging into him. The silence was deafening, amplified by the emptiness within. He kicked at a loose stone, watching it skitter across the damp ground, a small, insignificant movement reflecting the enormity of his feelings.