Gemotions

The email arrived mid-afternoon, right as Chloe was about to make herself a cup of tea. She’d checked her inbox at least a dozen times that day, so she knew what to expect. This was it. Anticipation hummed in the air around her, a high-pitched whine she could feel in her bones. She clicked the link. The color drained from her face.

Her hands were suddenly clammy, slick with a cold sweat. The screen blurred. Her words, her ideas, her months of work – emblazoned with another name. A name she didn't know. A name that was now… everywhere. She felt a tremor run through her body, a wave of disquiet that started in her toes and spread upwards. She dropped her phone and it landed with a soft thud on the floor.