Gemotions

The air in the library was thick with the scent of old paper and suppressed sighs. Daniel sat hunched over a table, poring over legal documents. His innovative energy-efficient heating system, meticulously detailed in his blueprints, was now the property of a giant conglomerate. He clenched his jaw, the muscles in his face tight.

He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end. He felt a throbbing ache behind his eyes. He’d invested his savings, his time, his very being. The patent application he'd been so proud of now felt like a cruel joke. He picked up his pen, then threw it down again, the click of the cap the only sound in the otherwise quiet room.