Gemotions

He stared at the peeling wallpaper in his childhood bedroom. The faded dinosaurs that had once captivated him now seemed to leer, mocking his return. A tremor ran through his hands as he ran his fingers over the rough surface. How had he ended up here, back in this mausoleum of his past?

His father’s booming laugh from downstairs echoed up the stairwell. He flinched, remembering all the lectures and criticisms, the expectations he’d failed to meet. The silence of his own small apartment had been oppressive, but now, surrounded by family, he felt a different kind of pressure – a tightening in his gut, a constant awareness of being watched. He didn’t belong.