Gemotions

He slammed the door, the sound a brutal punctuation mark on the email’s devastating message. His carefully constructed plans, the hours spent booking the venue, the secret conversations – all for nothing. A knot of frustration tightened in his stomach, making him want to scream.

His breath hitched in his throat, a shallow, ragged gasp. He kicked a discarded pizza box across the room, the flimsy cardboard doing little to release his pent-up energy. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture pulling at his scalp as if trying to rip out the source of his turmoil.

He paced the length of his living room, his steps frantic and erratic. The silence of the apartment pressed down on him, amplifying the internal cacophony. He felt a phantom weight on his shoulders, a crushing burden he couldn't name.