Gemotions

"Just a little longer," Mark mumbled to himself, his voice thick and sluggish. He’d been up since dawn, chasing a phantom melody in his head, battling writer's block. He finally had to stop, because it was too late. He was walking through a crowded market when the unmistakable opening bars of his latest song, "City Lights," erupted from a street performer's battered acoustic guitar.

The sun beat down on him, and he swayed on his feet, feeling his mind drift away from him. He watched the performer, a young woman with fiery red hair, through a haze. He felt disconnected from her performance. The world started to blur, colors bleeding into one another. He could barely focus on the music. He leaned against a stall, the rough wood a welcome support. He just wanted to close his eyes for a moment.