Gemotions

Eliza’s photographs, intimate portraits of her friends, were plastered across the front of a gossip magazine. Her friends, their faces blurred, their identities exposed. Her cheeks burned. She had agreed to a small exhibition, nothing like this.

She felt a physical ache in her chest, a tightness that made it difficult to breathe. The world seemed to shrink around her, the air getting thin. She wanted to sink into the pavement. The public had no right to see this.

She felt a surge of panic, an overwhelming need to hide. She could feel the stares, the whispers, even though nobody knew it was her. Tears welled in her eyes. She pulled her scarf up to cover her face and ran.