Gemotions

The radio crackled to life, spewing the unwelcome melody into the sterile air of Elara’s apartment. “Ephemeral Echoes” – her song, her vulnerability, laid bare. She spun around, her heart hammering against her ribs. This couldn't be happening. She hadn't even finished the official recording. She gripped her phone tightly, knuckles white.

The DJ’s voice, a smooth, practiced baritone, announced the artist: “Zara, with her latest hit…” Zara? Elara’s name was on the tip of her tongue, forming a frustrated shout. A wave of heat washed over her, making her flush. She hated it. The arrangement was… different. Worse. She switched the radio off, then back on again, just to hear the end of the song she wrote. She slumped onto the couch, the silence amplifying the echo of the melody in her head.