Gemotions

The awards ceremony was supposed to be the culmination of a decade’s work for Ethan. He’d been nominated for the prestigious literary prize, and he’d dared to hope. But now, as he sat in the audience, watching the winner accept the award for a novel strikingly similar to his, a cold dread spread through his chest.

The air felt thick, suffocating. He should be applauding, but his hands remained limp in his lap. He stared at his feet, at the polished wood floor. His throat constricted. He couldn’t breathe.

He wanted to scream.