Gemotions

"It's impossible," David whispered, staring at the screen. He'd dedicated years to his own writing, aspiring to the heights of his idol, the enigmatic Anya Petrova. He devoured her novels, meticulously analyzed her style, even tried to emulate her unique prose. And now, he found his unpublished short story, "The Azure Sea," nearly identical to a section in Petrova's new, highly anticipated novel.

His hands shook as he scrolled through the comparison documents. The evidence was irrefutable. His story, the one he had been privately so proud of, was… gone. Stolen. He felt as though the very air had been sucked from the room. He slammed his laptop shut, the sound echoing in the sudden quiet. He felt a deep ache in his heart and wanted to curl up and sleep forever.

He then ran a hand through his hair, over and over again, as though trying to smooth out the chaos inside his head. He needed to be alone. He needed to think.