Gemotions

Liam stared at the newspaper, the print swimming before his eyes. An article detailing the accusations against Alistair Finch, a novelist whose work he'd devoured since childhood. The claims of lifted material from lesser-known authors. His heart pounded in his chest like a frantic bird trapped in a cage.

He’d always felt a connection to Finch’s writing, a sense of shared understanding. He picked up his Finch novel and leafed through it. His fingers, suddenly clumsy, flipped the pages too fast. It was all there: the plot, the setting, the character arcs… all echoes of his favorite author, but he felt like he was looking at someone else's work.

A strange buzzing filled his ears. He tossed the book onto the coffee table, a violent gesture, and stood up, aimlessly pacing the small apartment. He didn’t know how to digest this.