Gemotions

He’d always felt like a fraud, a poorly constructed imitation of everyone else. Now, the accusation cemented it. "Plagiarized content." The words echoed in David's mind, a constant, mocking chorus. He couldn't even meet his professor’s gaze during their meeting.

David spent the rest of the day hunched in the library, the scent of old paper and dust a suffocating blanket. He avoided eye contact with everyone. He pretended to read, but the words blurred, meaningless strings of letters. He felt his hands tremble as he picked up and set down books he didn't care about.

The walk back to his apartment was torturous. Each passing stranger seemed to scrutinize him. He wanted to disappear, to vanish into the anonymity of the city. He locked himself in his room, pulling the covers over his head, a desperate attempt to shut out the world.