Gemotions

The door slammed shut, echoing through the empty house. He stood in the entryway, the crumpled note clutched tightly in his fist. His heart pounded against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the silence. He was all alone, surrounded by the remnants of a vanished dream.

He moved slowly through the house, each step heavy with the weight of the cancelled party. He looked into the living room, seeing the empty space where his friends were supposed to gather. A knot formed in his stomach, a physical manifestation of his distress.

He felt a desperate need to find a place to hide. He wanted to crawl into a dark corner and disappear from view. The thought of facing the world, of pretending everything was normal, was almost unbearable.