Gemotions

The vibrant colors of the carnival that Sarah had been looking forward to, were now blurry. She kept glancing at the spot where she had seen Alex, her childhood friend. She had run up to him, bubbling with excitement. He looked at her with a blank expression. "I don't know you," he had said, and walked away.

Now, the laughter and the music, usually a source of joy, grated on her nerves. The air hung thick and heavy with the scent of popcorn and cotton candy. She felt… off-balance, like she was walking on shifting sand.

She bought a ticket for the Ferris wheel, hoping the height would offer some perspective. As she rose, the ground seemed to spin. Everything, the brightly lit tents, the joyous screams, felt distant. The view that should have been exhilarating, was instead, empty.