Gemotions

The world felt too bright, too loud. Everything grated on Leo’s nerves. He’d locked himself in his room, the curtains drawn tight, seeking a darkness to match the shadows in his heart. He grabbed a paperback, something he hadn't read before, more out of boredom than desire, and let it fall open at random.

A small, folded piece of paper tumbled out. He picked it up, expecting it to be a bookmark. Instead, he found a pressed flower, a faded bluebell, and a note written in a looping, childish scrawl. "Remember me, always." He felt a strange pang, a surprising throb of something like… well, he couldn’t name it.

He carefully placed the flower back in the book, his fingers lingering on the fragile paper.