Gemotions

She smoothed down the front of her dress, her fingers tracing the delicate embroidery. The rented hall loomed before her, a stark white rectangle under the harsh streetlights. A tremor ran through her, making her teeth clack together. The car keys felt like lead in her hand. “It’ll be fine,” she muttered to herself, the words barely audible.

She stepped inside. The room was dark, the tables bare. A single flickering bulb cast long, dancing shadows. Her stomach began a slow, sickening descent.

Her friend, Chloe, poked her head out from behind the bar. "Oh, hey." There was a hesitancy in her greeting that sent a chill through her. "Look, about the party..."

She braced herself, a sudden emptiness welling up inside her.

"We had to call it off," Chloe finished, her voice a hushed whisper.