Gemotions

The band’s music thumped through the floor, a repetitive beat that grated on her nerves. She picked at a loose thread on her dress, feeling a surge of irritation that had nothing to do with the thread itself. Her smile felt fixed, a mask she wore with growing resentment.

She glanced at the dance floor, watching the shuffling couples. The forced joy of the occasion felt exhausting. She found herself yearning for silence, for solitude, for anything other than this manufactured gaiety.

She excused herself, claiming she needed some air. The cool night air offered a brief moment of respite. She looked up at the stars, a vast, indifferent canvas, and wished she could simply disappear.