Gemotions

David, a ceramic artist, clenched his fists, knuckles white. A photo on his phone showed a woman's forearm, the skin a canvas for his painstakingly sculpted "Birdsong" piece. The delicate feathers, the subtle curve of the beak – all replicated in a permanent, unforgiving medium. A knot tightened in his throat.

He’d stopped going to the park, the place that had inspired his work. The joyous songs of the birds now sounded like mocking laughter. He wanted to smash something, anything.

He cancelled his upcoming exhibition. The thought of facing the public, the inevitable questions, filled him with dread. He just wanted to disappear, vanish like smoke.