Gemotions

Liam stared at the magazine, a glossy testament to someone else's accomplishment. His short story, painstakingly crafted over months, now bore the name of a 'Marcus Thorne'. He felt a strange flutter in his stomach. He wasn't sure what to do next. The rejection letters had been piling up, and he knew how hard it was to get a foot in the door.

He felt the corners of his mouth tilting slightly down as he imagined Marcus. Maybe Marcus really needed this. Liam decided to email the editor first, a polite inquiry, to see if there had been some sort of mistake. He spent a considerable amount of time crafting the message, wanting to be clear, but gentle.

He then decided, just in case, to upload the original story to his online writing portfolio. This felt like a necessary step. He wanted to be able to prove, at least to himself, the work was his. He even uploaded a rough draft, just in case. This felt more important than any sort of public recognition.