Gemotions

The stage felt enormous, the spotlight blinding. Leo’s hands, usually cool and composed, were slick with sweat. He'd never performed without Mr. Sterling, his acting coach, in the wings. He looked towards the wings, but Mr. Sterling wasn't there. He was gone.

The words, so carefully rehearsed, felt foreign, disconnected. He felt a hollow ache. Mr. Sterling's subtle nods, his reassuring smiles - those were the invisible threads that held him together. Now, he was alone, exposed. The audience was a sea of unknown faces, and his breath hitched in his throat. He felt vulnerable.