Gemotions

He whistled as he strolled into the patent office, his feet practically gliding across the linoleum. Today was the day. After months of late nights and countless revisions, his revolutionary self-cleaning coffee maker was ready to be enshrined. He imagined the headlines, the awards, the mountains of money! His chest swelled with a feeling of lightness.

The clerk at the counter gave him a polite smile, but the following words sliced through his buoyant mood. "I'm sorry, Mr. Henderson, but a similar patent has already been granted." He felt the world tilt on its axis. He scanned the document, his vision blurring. Someone else. Someone else had already beaten him to it. A slow, leaden weight settled in his gut.