Gemotions

“You know, it’s not a competition, right?” Leo’s voice cracked, as he spoke to himself. He’d poured his heart into this party: a themed escape room experience. Now, his friends were at Chloe’s rooftop soiree. He had put all his savings into it, and now his escape room remained un-escaped.

The lights of the city glittered outside, a beacon of the festivities he wasn’t attending. He took a long, slow breath and walked through the now-darkened escape room.

He slumped onto a chair, the silence amplifying the thrumming feeling in his ears. He wasn't sure what to do. The silence made him wince, each second a painful reminder of his solitude.