Gemotions

The discovery left him numb. David had been so excited when the editor accepted his article, his first major publication. Now, someone else was getting the credit. He felt a crushing sense of inevitability.

The walls of his small bedroom seemed to close in, the air growing heavy and difficult to breathe. He stared at the framed poster on his wall, a symbol of his youthful dreams that now felt a million miles away. His fingers twitched with restlessness.

He ran his hand through his hair, a gesture of frustration he'd made countless times before. He picked up his phone, scrolled through his contacts, then put it down, the screen reflecting his own dejected face.