Gemotions

The department store was playing Muzak. The cheerful tune, familiar, triggered an almost physical recoil. Amelia stopped dead, her face paling. It was her song, “City Lights,” arranged beyond all recognition.

She felt a hollowness in her chest, a disconnect from her own body. The song, once so personal, now felt superficial, trivialized. The lyrics, her intimate confessions, now echoed meaninglessly in the large space.

She quickly left the store, feeling exposed and vulnerable. The bright lights and the bustling shoppers seemed to mock her. The experience had a way of cutting at the very core of who she was.