Gemotions

The attic air hung thick and stale, pressing on David's chest. He hadn’t touched this part of the house since moving in. The oppressive heat mirrored the feeling in his soul. He’d promised himself he’d finally deal with it today, but the task felt monumental, impossible.

He shuffled through a pile of tattered old magazines, his fingers brushing against something rigid. It was a child’s drawing, a crayon depiction of a smiling family and a house. David found himself staring at the image, a hollowness expanding within him.

He ripped a sticky note from the notepad sitting beside him and wrote “Sell Everything” before throwing it down the steps. The thump of the paper hitting the ground was a loud echo of something cracking inside him.