Gemotions

The list was found tucked inside a dog-eared copy of “Moby Dick.” "Learn to surf." "Visit a national park." "Adopt a dog." His stomach clenched. He’d always felt like a burden, always felt as if he was merely getting by.

He closed the book slowly, as if afraid to wake something. A heavy silence filled the room. The objects around him, the familiar furniture, the well-worn books, now seemed to press in on him. He felt as though he was a ghost, trapped in the house of someone else's dreams.