Gemotions

He’d always loved the way sunlight slanted through the window of the old bookstore, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Now, however, the very room seemed to shift. Ethan blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision, but the words on the page of his signed copy of *Celestial Gardens* blurred and swam. A coldness settled in his stomach as he reread a passage, a passage he knew with a familiarity that chilled him. He’d written it. Years ago. In college, for a creative writing assignment.

His hands shook as he reached for the library book. A copy of his old college paper. A shudder went down his spine. The proof was undeniably there. He felt the blood drain from his face, leaving him feeling unsteady.