Gemotions

He'd spent weeks perfecting the jokes. Now, standing backstage, he bounced on the balls of his feet, feeling the electric current of anticipation. The spotlight was a promise of validation, a beacon to his burgeoning career. The venue was packed, and the murmurs of excitement reached him. This was it. The culmination. The emcee, a nervous young man, approached. "Sir," he said, his voice barely a whisper, "there’s been a… a change of plans. The show… it’s off." A wave of heat washed over him, and his carefully constructed confidence threatened to shatter.