Gemotions

Benjamin slammed the manuscript down on the table, the sound echoing in the empty room. "Shadow Walker Books" had passed. He felt a sharp jab of disappointment. He'd tried so hard, he'd believed so strongly.

He grabbed his phone, his thumb hovering over the number of the editor who had rejected him, thinking of sending a rebuttal. He wanted to explain, to justify, to convince them they had made a mistake. He wanted to demand a reason. But he knew it was pointless.

He tossed the phone aside, feeling a surge of frustration. He began to pace the room, his movements restless, his mind a battlefield. He felt a desperate urge to *do* something, to change the outcome, to rewrite the past.

He opened the manuscript, and then slammed it shut. He began to pace the room.