Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the empty park. Chloe sat on a bench, picking at a loose thread on her sweater. She felt listless, the weight of the day pressing down on her. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves, but even that failed to rouse her from her current state. She felt stuck, caught in a repetitive loop.

She decided to check her email, a task that often left her with nothing to do. A newsletter from a literary magazine was waiting. She opened it, scrolling through the latest publications.

Her breath caught in her throat. The lead article, the one she’d submitted weeks ago, was there, the title and content she’d carefully curated. But a different name, a stranger's name, was printed alongside it. Her hands began to tremble.