Gemotions

He stared at the ceiling, the darkness pressing in. He couldn't seem to sleep, the images of what had happened playing on repeat in his mind. He’d failed them. He’d let them down.

A postcard slipped from the book, a faded image of a sun-drenched beach. He hadn’t been on a beach in years. An abrupt message was written upon it, a plea for reconciliation. It was a reminder of what could have been.

He felt a deep and abiding sense of self-reproach. He curled into a ball, trying to shut out the world. The weight of his actions settled upon him.