Gemotions

John sat on the dusty floor, surrounded by boxes of his past. He picked up a crumpled science project, his elementary school handwriting a childish scrawl. He felt a familiar knot of discomfort forming in his stomach.

He was a tough guy now, a man who didn't back down. But these memories, these reminders of his earlier years…they made him feel strangely small. He felt a sudden, sharp ache.

He couldn’t look at it anymore. He hurled the project against the wall, the paper scattering across the floor. He wanted to rage, to break something. He took a deep, ragged breath, fighting back the unwelcome tears.