Gemotions

He’d forgotten the password, years ago. Now, a friendly hacker had unearthed the entire thing: “The Chronicles of Chad.” A title that now writhed in its own irony. A tightness began in his chest, a peculiar thrumming that was both panic and…something else.

He pulled up the website, scrolling. Each entry was a punch to the gut. He could feel his heart beat faster. Reading those juvenile declarations of love and longing, he experienced an unexpected lift. He wanted to throw his phone, he wanted to dance. He felt oddly light-headed.

He glanced around his apartment, at the worn couch, the messy desk. The mundane details of his life suddenly seemed…charged. He went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and drained it in a single gulp. He found himself grinning at his reflection in the empty glass.