Gemotions

"Reunion?" Lisa repeated aloud, her voice strained. She stared at the invitation as if it were a venomous snake. She felt a chill run down her spine. The glossy paper felt cold against her fingertips.

She was suddenly acutely aware of every perceived imperfection: a wrinkle here, a gray hair there. She began to scrutinize her reflection in the mirror, searching for any signs of her past mistakes.

She felt a strange disconnect from her present self, a sense of being judged by a younger version of herself. She wanted to disappear, to avoid the inevitable comparisons and the scrutinizing gazes. She felt a familiar hollowness begin to bloom within her.