Gemotions

The street performer, a lanky youth with a guitar case open for tips, was murdering “Starlight Reverie.” The chords were clumsy, the vocals a shaky approximation of the original. Isabella watched from across the street. Her heart hammered in her chest, a furious bird trapped in a cage.

She crossed the street, her footsteps loud on the pavement. Her breath hitched. She imagined herself snatching the guitar, showing this kid how it was done. Showing him the soul he was missing.

“That’s… that’s not right,” she managed, her voice tight, when she was close enough. The boy barely looked up.