Gemotions

"Are you sure you understood the brief, Liam?" Sarah's voice, usually a soothing balm, held a sharp edge. He stood before his supervisor, the gleaming prototype of his energy-efficient home design project displayed on the table. Sunlight streamed through the expansive window, mocking the chill that had settled in his bones. He swallowed hard.

His palms were slick with sweat. He felt exposed, stripped bare. Sarah, his rock, his guiding star in the turbulent world of architectural design, was questioning him. He thought of his own project; it was designed around the same principles, and had a very similar aesthetic. He felt the blood drain from his face, and began to dread Sarah's follow-up questions.

Later, he saw it. Another submission, identical to his, under another name. A perfect clone of his work. His carefully constructed world crumbled. He felt…unmoored, adrift in a sea of his own inadequacy. The prototype felt heavy, useless.