Gemotions

Daniel had been in the library, researching something else entirely, when he stumbled upon the book. His biography. The shock was immediate. The initial anger gave way to a profound sense of… something he couldn’t quite name. His hands trembled as he held the tome.

He thought about the author, their motives. He pictured them, probably sitting at a desk somewhere, hunched over pages of his life. He found himself wondering if the author knew the places he grew up, the smells of that town. The imagined details filled him with a curious sadness.

He felt the familiar ache in his jaw. He thought of his childhood friend, whose own life had been marked by tragedy. He found himself wondering if the author would be kind to his friend, and immediately felt a cold fear inside his chest. He wished he could protect him. The book seemed to grow heavy in his hands. He set it down gently.