Gemotions

He felt light, almost weightless. Daniel bounced on the balls of his feet, humming a cheerful melody. Today was the day he would finally meet the reclusive author, Seraphina Moon. She was hosting a small workshop at a local bookstore, and Daniel had secured a coveted spot. He clutched his worn copy of Moon's magnum opus, a tangible link to the woman who'd shaped his worldview.

He spent the morning rereading his favorite passages, his fingers tracing the elegant words, feeling a sense of kinship with the author. The air around him crackled with excitement. He could not wait to learn from her, to be in her presence.

A friend messaged him with a link to a discussion board. The title: "Seraphina Moon Exposed?" He felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He stared at the side-by-side comparison of his own short stories and Moon's published works.