Gemotions

The gentle rhythm of the waves, the salty air, and the vast expanse of the ocean always soothed Leo. He’d spent years finding solace in his beachfront cottage. He had just received his much-anticipated signed copy of "Seafarer's Song" by the reclusive Silas Grey, and was ready to lose himself in the familiar rhythm of Grey's prose. He felt unburdened.

He opened the book and began reading, the sound of the ocean a comforting backdrop. Then, a paragraph. One that felt intimately familiar. He frowned, rereading the passage. A coldness crept up his neck.

He dove into his old manuscript files. It was there, his own prose, in the same structure, with the same details, now rewritten and published by his beloved author. The cottage walls felt fragile, suddenly, like the pounding surf would wash them away.