Gemotions

He poured the soda, the fizz a strange counterpoint to the quiet in the kitchen. Mark’s hands were shaking slightly. His meticulously planned board game night, an attempt to replicate the cosy fun of his childhood, felt fragile, ready to shatter. His friend, Daniel, was throwing a massive pub crawl.

The beer in the fridge was cold. The snacks were laid out. The invitations, all carefully handwritten, now seemed pointless. The thought of everyone else celebrating, laughing, and getting rowdy felt like a physical weight.

He walked over to the table and saw his phone, He looked at the number of Daniel. The impulse to send a text, a casual message, almost overwhelmed him. He looked away, picked up the dice, and threw them at the board.