Gemotions

The text message buzzed on Elara's phone: "Your painting on my back! So happy! Check out the pic!" Elara stared at the screen, her chest constricted. She had poured her heart and soul into that painting, a tribute to her late mother. The colors, the brushstrokes, the very essence of her grief were now… on someone's body.

She felt a wave of nausea wash over her. It was as if someone had taken a piece of her soul and flung it into the wind. The picture, when she forced herself to look, revealed a blurry image of the tattoo. The vibrancy of the original artwork had been lost.

She tossed her phone onto the sofa, the sound oddly loud in the sudden silence of the apartment. She felt a burning need to be alone, to find a place to hide. She buried her face in her hands, wanting to erase it all.