Gemotions

Thomas stared at the headline: "Beloved Author Accused of Plagiarism." Beneath it, a picture of Elias Thorne, his literary hero, and a series of side-by-side comparisons. Thomas felt a cold dread creep up his spine. He'd pre-ordered Thorne's new book, "Shadows of the Past," and had been eagerly awaiting its arrival.

He clicked on the article, his heart pounding a furious tattoo against his ribs. The evidence was damning. Sections of Thorne's novel, almost word for word, matched excerpts from a collection of online fan fiction. He felt his jaw drop. His fingers flew across his keyboard, frantically searching for any possible refutation.

He sank back in his chair, suddenly exhausted. The vibrant poster of Thorne, signed and framed, on his wall, seemed to mock him. The world tilted slightly. The man he’d built an entire worldview around, the man whose words had comforted him through loneliness, had… stolen.