Gemotions

The small town festival was a cacophony of noise. Lily had come with her family, hoping for a moment of peace. The music began. The opening bars were familiar. *Her* song, now performed by a teen pop sensation.

Her face flushed hot. Her throat closed, making it hard to swallow. The joyous atmosphere, the laughter of the children, all felt foreign and alien. She wanted to disappear, to dissolve into the crowd.

She gripped her husband's arm, her knuckles white. She whispered that she needed to leave, to get away from this overwhelming sensation.