Gemotions

He glared at the drawing, a furious pulse throbbing in his throat. It was Lily's latest, and it depicted a tall, thin figure with a goofy grin, clad in ridiculous mismatched clothing. “Captain Crumbles,” Lily had declared it, proudly presenting it as her friend. The resemblance was uncanny. *His* childhood friend, “Captain Quirke”. The same elongated limbs, the same absurdly large shoes.

“Very… imaginative,” he managed, the words tight and thin. He felt a familiar heat creeping up his neck. It had been decades. He'd diligently repressed those memories, the childish games, the silly names. Now, this… this little imp was dredging it all back up. He had spent his whole life trying to be taken seriously. This felt like a personal affront.

He excused himself abruptly, muttering something about needing some fresh air. He stomped out to the porch, the flimsy drawing still burned into his vision. The setting sun cast long shadows, mirroring the long shadow of his past, and he felt a cold wave of irritation wash over him.