Gemotions

He stared at the card. His own birthday was months away. Michael felt a prickle of unease, a sensation he couldn't easily shake. The card's bright, cheerful colors seemed somehow jarring against the gray, overcast sky outside.

He sat down, slowly, as though his legs were suddenly too heavy to support him. He opened it and his heart pounded in his chest. A single word was scrawled on the card: “Soon.”

He felt the color drain from his face. He felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to pack a bag. He began to feel a sensation like a cold pressure on his chest.