Gemotions

He stared at the signed copy of the author's book, now worthless. He'd waited in line for hours, eager to meet his idol. The smile he had given the author felt false, a mask over the disappointment he had learned. He gripped the book tightly, crumpling the jacket. He wanted to throw it across the room.

He felt a deep churning in his stomach. He'd even given the author a copy of his own work, hoping for some feedback. Now, he wondered if his own work had ended up in the very book he held in his hands. He felt a sense of profound disillusionment, as if the world he had constructed had collapsed.