Gemotions

“This is ridiculous,” I muttered, kicking at the clump of earth. The time capsule, a small metal box, was exposed. I had absolutely no memory of this. The whole thing was just irritating, like a forgotten chore.

Inside, a carefully curated collection: a photograph of my college friends, all beaming. A copy of my undergraduate thesis. A poem I had written, filled with pretentious metaphors. The photograph, the faces all lit up, the group shot, was particularly grating.

I glanced at the thesis, remembering the gruelling hours I spent researching and writing. Now, it was just a symbol of the ambitions I'd abandoned. The poem, I couldn’t even bring myself to read it. I dropped the lid back on the box and re-buried it, then turned my back on the site. A strange satisfaction coursed through me.