Gemotions

Liam kicked at a loose stone on the driveway, sending it skittering across the cracked concrete. The setting sun cast long shadows, making everything seem distorted. His son, Mark, had been avoiding him for days. Short answers. Closed doors. An icy politeness that felt colder than any argument. Now, this.

He had found the account late last night, after the house had fallen quiet. It wasn’t a matter of actively hunting, more a random discovery when using Mark's laptop to search for something completely unrelated. There, under a username Liam didn’t recognize, was a different Mark, a Mark with dyed hair and a string of friends Liam had never met. The words on the screen blurred, making him feel like he was losing his balance.

Liam sighed, and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. He didn't know what to do. His throat felt thick, and the air around him felt heavy and suffocating. He walked towards the house, the porch light seeming to mock him with its brightness.