Gemotions

From his perch on the balcony, watching the city lights twinkle, Jasper heard it: his song. It drifted up from the open-air concert venue below, the strains of his melancholy ballad floating on the night air. He'd thought no one would ever hear this.

A sudden wave of icy dread washed over him. The wind felt sharp against his skin, and he wrapped his arms around himself, as if trying to hold himself together. He felt his face heat up. It had been years since he'd written the song, an echo of a life he'd tried to leave behind.

He wanted to run away. He felt a tightening in his chest, a sensation of being utterly vulnerable. He wanted to descend, to witness this moment. He stayed frozen, a statue silhouetted against the dark sky, listening to his heartbreak echoing in the night.