Gemotions

The photograph, a faded Polaroid, slipped from Leo's grasp and landed with a soft thud on the worn wooden table. He stared at it, the image of him and Ben, children with scraped knees and beaming smiles, mocking him. He had found Ben at a local bookstore, and the reunion seemed destined, until he heard Ben's response. "I… I don't remember you." His voice was flat, devoid of any recognition. Leo blinked, his eyes stinging. He felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to run, to escape the crushing weight of the present. The bookstore, a haven of comforting smells and familiar stories, suddenly felt cold and alien.