Gemotions

He slammed the laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the otherwise quiet studio. His head throbbed. He’d seen the image plastered across social media, a close-up of a stranger's back. The intricate lines of his beloved "Ephemeral Bloom" piece, a painstakingly detailed rendering of a dying sunflower, were now permanent, etched onto a stranger's skin.

He felt a sudden, inexplicable heat in his chest, a burning sensation that spread through him. It was a violation, he decided, a theft of something incredibly personal. The world felt blurry, the walls of his little space seemed to be closing in around him.

He pushed his chair back and walked outside, taking a shaky breath. The sun seemed too bright, and the world buzzed with an unbearable noise.