Gemotions

The phone vibrated in Emily's hand, bringing her back from the dark place her mind had wandered. The news had broken hours earlier, but the implications still hadn't fully sunk in. Her favorite author, the wordsmith she had held up as a paragon of storytelling, was a plagiarist. The world tilted on its axis, and she felt the weight of it all settle in her bones.

She sat heavily on the bed, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The room, usually a haven of books and cozy blankets, now felt alien and unwelcome. She couldn’t shake the sense of being betrayed, the emptiness in her chest a cavernous void. She couldn't focus.