Gemotions

The chandelier glittered above her head, casting a dizzying array of light and shadow. Emily felt the pressure in her temples increase as she approached the stage. The music was too loud, the laughter too high. She fought the urge to cover her ears.

She felt a strange disconnect, as if she were watching herself from outside her own body. The words on her prepared speech seemed to shift and change, becoming meaningless symbols. Her legs felt weak.

She forced a smile, but it felt stiff and unnatural. Her voice wavered as she began to speak, the carefully crafted phrases sounding hollow and empty. She wanted to run, to hide, to escape the suffocating weight of the moment.