Gemotions

Rain lashed against the window of Leo's cramped apartment. He’d just settled in with a steaming mug of tea and his newly acquired copy of *Moby Dick*. A note, tucked between pages, fluttered to the floor. "Damn it," he hissed, his face flushing crimson.

He picked it up, his fingers itching to tear it to shreds. The book was a treasure, a perfect specimen. The thought that someone else had violated its pristine condition made his chest constrict. He imagined the careless hands that had folded this worthless missive within.

He crumpled the paper in his fist. How dare they! He slammed the mug down, the tea sloshing over the side. The audacity of it, the sheer disregard for the sanctity of the printed word! He fought the urge to throw the book across the room.