Gemotions

The meticulously arranged rows of books in the library usually calmed him. Now, however, the silence was suffocating. He stared at the crisp, official document – notification of his half-brother, a phantom limb he never knew he’d lost. David’s fingers felt clumsy, his movements jerky.

He felt a pressure in his skull.

He ran a hand through his hair, dislodging a stray strand. He felt the need to get out, to *run*. He rose abruptly, pushing the chair back so that it scraped against the wooden floor, echoing in the hushed space. He needed air, space, *anything* but this.