Gemotions

From the moment he’d picked up a copy of “Shadows of the Past,” Daniel had been captivated by the mysterious and elusive writer, Seraphina Rose. He’d meticulously collected every interview, every rare photograph, every cryptic clue about the author. Now the dream was shattered. An anonymous online post presented the proof. Seraphina Rose, the enigmatic literary genius, had lifted her entire novel from a forgotten anthology.

Daniel felt a tremor go through him, a physical manifestation of his disappointment. He picked up his phone, his thumb hovering over the number of the bookstore. He'd been planning to buy every book Seraphina Rose had ever written, to make a small pilgrimage to the city where she lived. All of a sudden, he felt completely deflated.

His throat constricted. He wanted to shout, to rail against the injustice of it all. But all that came out was a strangled whimper. He sank back onto the couch, the book clutched tightly in his hand, feeling lost.