Gemotions

The morning stretched before Amelia, a vast expanse of grey. She reached for her coffee, the mug feeling heavy in her hand. A tremor of discontent rippled through her. She had been meaning to clean the apartment, but the thought of it felt mountainous. She settled back into the couch, the cushions swallowing her whole. The latest release from her idol, the esteemed E.B. Sterling, sat unopened on the coffee table. She usually devoured his books within hours, but the cover’s vibrant colours seemed to mock her inertia.

She scrolled through social media, the endless stream of updates blurring together. A headline caught her eye: "Sterling's Latest Accused of Plagiarism." Amelia felt a prickling heat rise in her neck. Doubt, a tiny, unwelcome seed, began to sprout in her mind.

A quick search confirmed her growing dread. Side-by-side comparisons of Sterling's new novel and a collection of lesser-known short stories. The parallels were undeniable. Her own favorite story, the one that had inspired her to write, the one that meant the world to her. It was right there, word for word. She slumped, the fight draining out of her.