Gemotions

The news, delivered through a friend, hit John like a physical punch. His favorite author, the one whose books he’d read and re-read, now accused of plagiarism. And of all people, the source of the alleged stolen material was…John himself.

He stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, his face a mask of shock and something else, something sharper, something more dangerous. His hands shook as he splashed cold water on his face.

He let out a short, sharp bark of laughter. He could barely contain himself. It was a laugh born of sheer disbelief. He wanted to shout, to rail against the injustice of it all. Instead, he simply walked into his bedroom and locked the door.