Gemotions

From her armchair, Clara gazed at the framed photograph on her desk: a signed picture of her beloved author, Julian Black. She’d met him at a book signing last year, a fleeting moment, but she'd treasured it. He’d signed her copy of "Shadows of the Past," her favourite book, with a kind message. She had a skip in her step that day.

She spent the morning polishing her own manuscript, a historical fiction novel inspired by Black's meticulous research and evocative prose. This time, she felt, it was different. This time, she would get noticed. The feeling was a fizzy warmth inside her.

An email arrived, a concise message with a link. Clara clicked on it, her heart thudding. A compilation of excerpts. Excerpts from her unpublished short stories, interwoven with passages from "Shadows of the Past." The world tilted. She felt numb.