Gemotions

The confetti cannons, usually a source of joyful anticipation, now felt like a cruel joke. Ava sat in her dimly lit apartment, the invitation to Chris's karaoke night lying open on the table. It was the same night as her planned movie marathon.

She traced the outline of a tear on the invitation, her hand trembling. The air in her apartment felt thick and still, the silence punctuated only by the rhythmic thumping of her heart. She hadn't left the house in days.

She had always been a cheerful person, but the light had somehow gone out. She felt hollow, adrift, as though the world had tilted on its axis, leaving her stranded. She wanted, desperately, to rewind time, to undo what had happened. But all she could do was stare at the confetti and fight the urge to crumble.