Gemotions

The air crackled with excitement as Leo walked into the bookstore, anticipation bubbling within him. He was finally going to meet Elias Thorne. He’d been his biggest fan since he was a boy, his stories providing a constant source of inspiration and comfort. He had a dog-eared copy of “Starfall’s Embrace” to be signed.

The line snaked around the store, filled with eager readers. He’d waited patiently, his heart soaring, imagining finally shaking the author's hand, telling him what his words meant to him.

Then, a hush fell over the crowd. A man at the front desk was whispering into a phone. A bookstore employee approached the line and started ushering people towards the exit. Leo's face fell as he listened to fragments of their conversation. The author was gone. An investigation was underway. The light within him flickered and died.