Gemotions

The karaoke bar was smoky and loud. Leo had come to drown his sorrows. Then, the DJ introduced the next singer, and the opening chords of his most popular song, "Burning Bridges," blasted from the speakers.

The singer – a middle-aged man in a stained t-shirt – was completely tone-deaf. Leo cringed at first, but then he saw the man’s face. He was singing with so much feeling, so much conviction.

His cheeks flushed, his eyes squeezed shut as he delivered each mangled line. Leo could almost see the ghosts of broken promises swirling around the room.

Leo took a long pull from his beer, the bitterness somehow tasting less potent. He nodded slightly, as if acknowledging a shared burden.