Gemotions

"It's just… gone, isn’t it?" Amelia whispered, her voice barely audible over the clatter of the train. She stared at the sketchpad in her lap, the drawing of the automated gardening system blurred by unshed tears. For months, she'd nurtured the project, a vision of self-sufficiency and green spaces in the city. Her dreams of sustainability had been overshadowed by the news that her invention was already patented. She remembered the thrill of the first sprouted seed, the quiet satisfaction of tending to her small, experimental garden. Now, the train rattled onward, carrying her away from the place where she'd dreamed her dreams, and she felt a hollow echo in her chest.