Gemotions

“Just…wow,” Leo breathed, the word a rasp. He'd stumbled upon it by accident, while idly browsing online. A teenager’s newly-inked chest. His meticulously crafted portrait of a raven, rendered in charcoal, now permanent on a stranger.

His stomach lurched. He felt the familiar prickle of tears behind his eyes, a sensation he despised. He hated the vulnerability. He’d spent years perfecting the play of light and shadow, and now, someone else had taken that gift.

He slammed his laptop shut, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent apartment. The studio felt wrong, the brushes and paints mocking him from their organized rows. He went to the window, watching the rain streak the glass, mimicking the tears he refused to let fall.