Gemotions

The summer air hung thick and heavy, the cicadas chirping a relentless chorus. She trudged up the hill, the exertion making her muscles ache. The reunion was in full swing, a cacophony of laughter and chatter. She searched the crowd, her heart pounding a dull rhythm against her ribs. There. Across the lawn, by the old oak tree. It was him. She approached, her steps slow, uncertain. "Ben?" she asked, her voice barely audible over the din. He turned, his gaze blank. "I am sorry, but I do not recognize you," he said, and her vision was suddenly filled with static.