Gemotions

The neon glow of the arcade painted Amelia's face in shifting hues of red and blue. She was playing her favorite racing game, the joystick a familiar extension of her hand. Her pulse thrummed in time with the engine's roar. Suddenly, a familiar guitar riff sliced through the cacophony. Her song.

Her breath hitched. She froze, fingers still hovering over the buttons. From a nearby stage, bathed in a harsh spotlight, a band was ripping into her ballad. A vocalist with a gravelly voice belted out the lyrics she'd poured her heart into years ago. This wasn't supposed to happen. She felt a disconnect, as though her own memories were somehow not her own.

She felt detached as the crowd of teenagers clapped and cheered. The arcade lights seemed to strobe, blurring the faces around her. She didn’t know how she got there. Everything was a blur.