Gemotions

From the moment she’d first read Elias Blackwood, Lily had wanted to be him. His characters, his voice, his ability to weave magic with words—all things she had aspired to. Now, she was staring at a side-by-side comparison of her college thesis and his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

She stood frozen in place, a cup of tea growing cold in her hand. The library, once a sanctuary, now felt like a prison. Every book, every shelf, every whispered conversation mocked her.

She carefully put the tea on a coaster and walked back to the kitchen, where she found herself throwing away all her books by Blackwood, and replacing them with nothing.