Gemotions

The radio blared from the car stereo as Leo drove home, the late afternoon sun painting the sky in fiery hues. Then, the opening riff. "Echoes in the Valley," his most successful song, suddenly blasted from the speakers. A stranger’s voice, a slick, overproduced baritone, filled the car.

He slammed on the brakes, the sudden stop jolting him forward. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel. The singer was altering the lyrics, changing his words. A vein pulsed in his temple. He let out a frustrated shout. This was a violation, a rewriting of his personal history. He switched off the radio. Silence. He took a long, shaky breath, the fight still burning in him.