Gemotions

He ripped the envelope open, his knuckles white. The invitation, with its promises of reminiscing and reconnection, felt like a summons to the gallows. He read the details, his eyes scanning the information, but his mind refusing to process the words. He felt his breath quicken, his heart racing.

The memories flooded back, the triumphs and the embarrassments, all magnified by time. He felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. The thought of facing his peers again filled him with dread. He pushed the invitation away, but the image of it remained burned into his mind.

He went to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a large whiskey, the bitter taste doing little to soothe his rising panic. He spent the rest of the evening staring out the window, the darkness mirroring the turmoil within him. The city lights seemed to mock his isolation.