Gemotions

The photograph sat on the table, a smiling group of friends. Ben, who always claimed to be a teacher, had casually mentioned a "work trip." The photo showed him, in a suit, shaking hands with a politician. A different world. A very different life.

A coldness seeped through his veins, a feeling like ice water trickling down his spine. The jokes, the shared frustrations about classroom management… all of it seemed hollow now. He focused on the details of the picture.

He took a step backward, away from the photograph, as if it contained a secret that could somehow contaminate him. He felt suddenly ill at ease. He didn't want to meet up for their usual card games.