Gemotions

He walked past the community center, the sound of the band's music echoing across the park. They were playing "The Wanderer's Ballad," the song he'd written years ago, a song that had been his heart's outpouring. It was being performed by a band that had rebranded it as their own, the lyrics subtly altered, the melody changed.

He stopped, his legs suddenly heavy. The music felt like a physical assault, each note a painful jab. He leaned against a tree, trying to steady himself, the cheerful melodies mocking the hollowness within him. He felt exposed and vulnerable. He felt like his heart was being torn open.