Gemotions

“Ugh,” Maya mumbled, her voice flat, as she navigated the crowded art gallery. She was already in a foul mood, the traffic had been awful, and the art was pretentious. Then, from a hidden speaker, came *her* music. Her song, "City Lights," now re-imagined as elevator music.

She stopped in her tracks, her breath catching. She felt a wave of nausea. The jaunty synth beats, the watered-down melody... it was an insult. A deliberate erasure of everything she had poured into that song. She forced herself to breathe, clutching the strap of her bag. This was an affront. She thought about screaming. Instead, she turned around and walked out.