Gemotions

She stared at the open book, the pages filled with her meticulous notes. Her eyes flicked over the photographs, the maps, the research data. Months she had spent tracing the footsteps of a lost explorer. But the spark had gone out. Now, she was just going through the motions.

An email. Subject: “Regarding the Expedition Project.” The message was short and to the point. “We regret to inform you that another researcher is working on an almost identical project, based on the same findings.”

She closed her laptop, the click echoing in the quiet apartment. A sense of… what? Defeat? The wind outside rattled the window. She wanted to scream. She wanted to disappear. She just wanted it all to stop.