Gemotions

The email glowed on Sarah's phone screen, the subject line a brutal punch: “Publication Notice.” Excitement curdled into something sour. She clicked, and her breath hitched. Her story, the one about her grandmother’s life during the war, was published – under the name of a senior editor at the magazine. Her stomach churned. A wave of nausea washed over her, making her feel cold. Her fingers trembled as she deleted the email, the action strangely cathartic, yet leaving a larger wound in its wake. She felt a profound weight, a crushing burden, settle on her.