Gemotions

The email pinged at 3 AM. He shot up in bed, heart hammering against his ribs. He switched on his reading lamp and squinted at the screen. The subject line: "15 Year Reunion - Save the Date!". The words felt like a physical blow.

He sat there, rigid, staring into space. The memories, the regrets, the old hurts – they flooded back, vivid and unwelcome. He felt a strong urge to simply disappear.

He turned off the lamp and lay back down, but sleep eluded him. He tossed and turned, the invitation’s presence a heavy, unwelcome shadow in his mind. He lay there, staring at the ceiling, waiting for the sun.