Gemotions

The mug slipped from Amelia’s grasp. It shattered against the hardwood floor, a spiderweb of cracks blooming across the ceramic remnants. Her eyes, fixed on the laptop screen, saw the familiar words, the familiar phrasing, yet something felt off-kilter. A nauseating wave washed over her, and she had to lean against the kitchen counter for support. This couldn’t be right. Her story, *Echoes of the Forgotten City*, was right there. Identical. To the critically acclaimed novel, *Sunken Secrets.* The one written by Elias Thorne, her idol.

She scrambled for the phone, her fingers fumbling with the keys. Her breath hitched. The screen blurred. “Hello?” she croaked, the word a stranger on her tongue. It was her agent. “I…I need to talk to you about something.” The world swam a little.