Gemotions

The news hit hard, like a physical blow. He’d opened an email from a fan, a young woman who'd written to ask about his creative process. Attached to the email was a photo. In the photo was another woman, proudly displaying a tattoo of his ‘Celestial Garden’ on her upper back. He felt his hands go clammy.

He sat for a moment, the world tilting and swirling around him. The image was perfect, every intricate detail copied with alarming accuracy. He felt a burning rage, a volcanic eruption of fury. He wanted to know how, why, who had sanctioned this theft.

He slammed his laptop shut, the abrupt action echoing in the quiet room. He stood up and began pacing, his hands clenched into fists. He felt the familiar pressure building behind his temples, the precursor to a blinding headache. He needed to get away, to escape the suffocating weight of this unwelcome discovery.