Gemotions

He stared at the glossy magazine in his hands, then at his reflection in the window of the coffee shop. The article, his article, stared back at him, the words somehow sharper, more vivid on the page than he remembered. His heart hammered a frantic rhythm against his ribs. It was a local magazine, a small publication, but still… his name, or rather, not his name, but someone’s name, was in print. He felt a lightheaded sensation, a wooziness that made the world tilt slightly. A giggle, unbidden and high-pitched, escaped his lips. The barista, wiping down the counter, looked over at him, curiosity in his eyes. He quickly composed himself, feeling the unfamiliar weight of this new reality settle upon him.