Gemotions

The silence in the small apartment was almost unbearable. Ava sat hunched on her couch, scrolling through her Instagram feed, the app's cheerful interface jarring. There it was again: her mural, the vibrant cityscape she had spent months creating, now permanently fixed on someone's calf.

Her heart hammered against her ribs. She felt as though someone had invaded her privacy, peered into the deepest parts of her mind. She clenched her fists, nails biting into her palms.

She had shared her art with the world, yes, but this felt different. She’d always struggled to be seen. Now, she wanted to disappear. She closed the app, the screen going black, and buried her face in her hands, wanting to vanish.