Gemotions

The crackling fire in the hearth cast dancing shadows on the walls of Ethan's cabin. He sat in his favorite armchair, a well-worn book open in his lap, the scent of pine and burning wood a soothing balm. Outside, the wind howled, but inside, he was enveloped in a cocoon of warmth and quietude. He had chosen this solitude, cultivated this peace.

His phone buzzed. A message from his sister, a flurry of exclamation points and a link. He clicked it reluctantly, his heart beginning to pound in his chest. His teenage diary. The vulnerable words, the clumsy confessions, were there, exposed. The book slipped from his grasp as a wave of nausea washed over him.