Gemotions

The email sat in Eleanor’s inbox, glowing with the sterile light of a midweek afternoon. “Congratulations, Author! Your article, *The Unexpected Symphony of Suburban Squirrels*, is live on 'Nature's Nook'!” But the author's name wasn’t Eleanor Finch. It was “Marcus Bellweather.” Her pulse hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She took a shaky breath, then another, trying to steady herself.

She rose from her chair, the sudden movement causing a dizzying sensation. The article, her article, was on the internet, attributed to a man she'd never met. A cold sweat prickled her skin.

Eleanor grabbed her keys and bolted from her apartment, the scent of lavender from the lobby's air freshener doing nothing to soothe the anxiety crawling up her throat. She needed air, needed to be anywhere but there. The world seemed to tilt on its axis as she struggled to unlock her car door.