Gemotions

The concert hall was hushed, the air thick with anticipation. David, conductor of the local symphony orchestra, tapped his baton lightly against the podium. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the silence settle over him. He was about to begin his favorite symphony; his soul poured into his work. Then, the music began and the world melted away, lost in the music. Tonight, everything came together.

After the applause died, he checked his phone. His wife had sent him a link to his son, Ethan’s, Instagram account. The account had several of the same photos Ethan posted on his public account, but it also contained a series of darker, more introspective posts. His chest felt constricted. The exhilaration from the performance evaporated; replaced by a cold, unsettling feeling.