Gemotions

He stretched, arching his back until he felt a satisfying pop. The morning light streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. John hummed a tuneless melody as he brewed his coffee, the aroma a familiar comfort. He glanced at the complex clockwork mechanism he'd built the previous night, his latest tinkering project. The intricate gears and springs, a testament to his obsession with time. It worked perfectly. A gentle sigh escaped him as he went to fetch the newspaper. There, on page three, a familiar design, identical to his, was on display. A patent had been issued weeks earlier.