Gemotions

The backstage area was a cramped, claustrophobic mess. Empty pizza boxes and tangled cables littered the floor. A low hum of conversation vibrated through the thin plywood walls. He paced, his strides short and uneven, his gaze darting about. His palms were clammy, slick with perspiration.

He heard the opening bars, a familiar melody, but different, altered. The singer's voice was strong, confident, unlike his own, hesitant delivery. He felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. He sank against a wall, his chest constricted, as if an unseen hand was squeezing the air from his lungs.