Gemotions

The gallery opening was supposed to be a triumph. She’d spent months on the series, pouring her emotions into each brushstroke. Then, a friend sent her a link. Someone, somewhere, had inked her portrait onto their back.

The room began to feel stifling. She could hardly breathe. All the chatter, the laughter, seemed to mock her. The artwork, now on display, seemed to mock her too.

She excused herself and went to the bathroom, her hands shaking as she turned on the cold water. She splashed her face, trying to clear her head, to banish the sickening feeling that had settled deep in her core.