Gemotions

The courtroom felt suffocating, the air thick with tension. Michael fidgeted in his seat, his shoulders slumped. He had spent his days and nights thinking of this moment. The judge's words seemed to fade in and out, like a distant radio signal. His eyelids felt heavy, pulling downwards. He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his head, and glanced at his watch. The clock seemed to move at half speed.

A bailiff approached him, handing him a sealed envelope. "This was left for you, Mr. Harding." His name. His last name. He took the letter, his fingers numb. It was from his brother, Mark. The man he had lost. His brother whom he hadn’t seen in years. He opened the letter, his heart pounding a slow, heavy rhythm. The words blurred before his eyes.