Gemotions

"Never seen you before." Those were the words that hung in the air, thick and heavy. John, her first love, was standing before her. His face, once so familiar, was now a perfect stranger's. Her breath hitched in her throat, a sharp intake of air.

She'd built a whole life around the memory of him, fueled by nostalgia and the stories they'd made. To have him look at her with such non-recognition… it was disorienting, a complete upheaval.

He had no memory of the late-night talks, the stolen kisses, the promises whispered under the summer stars. Instead, a polite, slightly puzzled expression was etched across his face. She felt an odd detachment from her own body.

Her hands shook. She felt as if she were standing on the edge of a precipice, staring into an abyss. She needed to sit down, she thought, desperately.