Gemotions

The street musician strummed a familiar chord progression. Alex, walking past, initially paid it no mind. But then the lyrics of "Silent City" started to flow, and he stopped dead in his tracks. A coldness spread through his chest.

His throat constricted. He couldn’t look at the busker, but he couldn't move either. The melody, once so familiar, now felt alien, almost mocking.

He dug his fingernails into his palms, the sudden sting a desperate attempt to ground himself. He wanted to scream, to run, to erase the very sound of the song. He felt a deep, unsettling disorientation.