Gemotions

He stared at the screen, the cursor blinking mockingly. A friend request from Mark. His childhood tormentor. A wave of nausea surged through him. He hadn't thought about Mark in years. Now, he felt the familiar pressure in his chest, a feeling he hadn't experienced since those awful days on the playground.

He reached for a glass of water, his hand shaking. He gulped it down, but the dryness in his mouth persisted. His apartment, usually a haven of solitude, felt impossibly small, the walls closing in. He felt a sudden, desperate urge to flee, to disappear.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to regain his composure. He knew this wasn’t just a simple notification. It was a sentence, and he was already serving his time.