Gemotions

The discovery was made during a summer landscaping project. While attempting to plant a tree, Daniel struck metal. He excavated the object, a time capsule. He was confused. The capsule was not his. He peered inside and found a drawing of a house, identical to the one he currently lived in, and a letter.

The letter, in his own handwriting, described a future in which he was living, the same house, but alone. He felt a hollowness spread through his chest, a vacuum sucking the air from his lungs. The warmth of the sun felt replaced with a bleak, endless coldness. The letter spoke of choices, regrets, and an overwhelming sense of isolation.

He slammed the lid shut. His hands shook. He stared at the newly dug hole, the earth seeming to mock him with its emptiness. He stood there for a long time, the shadow of the tree already in place, but not yet rooted.