Gemotions

The invitation had arrived on the worst possible day. He’d just learned he’d been passed over for a promotion, and now this. He tossed it onto the overflowing recycling bin, the thin cardboard a stark contrast to the thick, glossy paper of the announcement he’d been hoping for.

He paced the small confines of his apartment, the linoleum floor squeaking under his feet. The walls seemed to shrink, closing in on him. He felt suffocated, trapped within the confines of his own disappointment. He stopped in front of the mirror, studying his reflection. The man staring back was not the one he’d imagined becoming.

He started muttering under his breath, repeating phrases he’d heard throughout his high school years, the taunts, the labels. They were like needles, piercing him again and again. He was tired, so utterly weary, but he couldn't stop the thoughts from racing through his mind, creating an unbearable cacophony.