Gemotions

He’d been enjoying a quiet afternoon at a cafe, reading the newspaper. Then he saw it: a full-page advertisement for “Professor Z's Magnificent Mind-Expanding Coffee!” The artwork was familiar. The tagline was almost word-for-word what he had used for his own coffee blend, "Cogni-Brew".

He felt a knot tighten in his gut. His hands were clammy. He reread the advertisement. It listed the exact same blend of beans, the same specific brewing instructions that he had spent years perfecting. He tried to think, his mind racing. He needed to find out how this had happened.

His vision tunnelled. The cafe noise faded, as the advertisement seemed to grow bigger and bigger until it was the only thing he could see.