Gemotions

The world felt muted. Thomas moved through the day with a strange, heavy detachment. He stared at his laptop screen for an hour, the words he needed eluding him like shadows. Inspiration had always come easily when he read his favorite author, Vivian Blackwood, but today, even thinking of her work was difficult. It was supposed to be a good day. He was going to start writing his next novel.

He’d seen a news alert – something about Blackwood. Hesitantly, he clicked. A report detailed the accusations: Blackwood's latest novel had ripped off a manuscript from a small, local writer. The realization hit him, a cold wave washing over him. The book. The phrases. They sounded so familiar. He tried to think of his favorite passages from her books, but instead of finding inspiration, he found a deep, heavy feeling in his chest.

He shut the laptop, the screen going black. He felt like he should do something, but the world seemed impossibly distant. He just didn't have the energy. He fell back on the couch, staring at the ceiling, feeling an odd, suffocating emptiness.