Gemotions

The email arrived at 3:00 AM. It announced the publication of her research on sustainable farming practices. Maria blinked, her eyes still heavy with sleep. The subject line was promising, but the name… the name at the top. Not her. A complete stranger.

She sat up straight in bed, her heart a rabbit trapped in her chest. The information felt wrong, like reading a funhouse mirror reflection of her own work. She scrolled through the article. The introduction was hers, the methodology, the results. But someone else, a person she never encountered in her life, was taking the credit.

She felt a sudden chill, despite the warm room. She ran a hand through her hair, a nervous gesture. She felt a disconnect from her own body. This was like a nightmare, a very public nightmare from which she couldn't wake up.