Gemotions

The banner hung across the town square, a grotesque parody of his meticulously crafted mosaic. The colors were washed out, the imagery distorted, his masterpiece reduced to a cheap advertisement. Liam’s chest felt tight, the air suddenly thin and hard to draw.

He’d spent months on the mosaic, painstakingly piecing together each fragment, a tribute to the town’s history. Now it was plastered with the logo of a fast-food chain, their greasy slogan a cruel intrusion. He closed his eyes, inhaling slowly as he tried to calm himself.

A group of children, pointing and laughing at the banner, only made his situation worse. Liam wanted to flee, to escape this public humiliation. He began to walk towards the banner, each step filled with a strange, aching rage.