Gemotions

The afternoon light cast long shadows as Richard unearthed the time capsule. He’d been meaning to re-landscape the garden, but the discovery was a welcome distraction, although a frustrating one. The box was rusty, a testament to its age, and a reminder of his own.

Inside, a signed baseball, a letter from his grandfather, and a map of his childhood neighborhood, drawn in crayon. The baseball, still tucked away in its original packaging, felt like a cruel joke. He’d never amounted to anything. The letter from his grandfather was full of words of encouragement that now felt like a taunt.

He crumpled the letter, the paper crackling in his grip. The neighborhood map, the crayon markings, were a painful reminder of lost innocence. He kicked the time capsule into the hole, burying it again, and turned his back on his past.