Gemotions

The banquet hall glittered, a riot of silver and gold. Emily, however, found the decorations overdone, the music too loud. She felt a profound disconnect, as if she were observing the scene from behind a pane of glass.

She’d spent the morning meticulously crafting her speech, polishing every sentence. But now, as she listened to the previous speaker, she felt her words had lost their meaning.

She ran her hand through her hair, a nervous gesture she often made. As she watched her mother, beaming with pride, she couldn't help but wonder if any of this was real. When her time to speak came, she approached the microphone, a strange hollowness filling her chest.