Gemotions

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 125 words

The gallery owner’s email was blunt. *Someone has your piece, ‘Ephemeral Echo’, tattooed on their back. Saw it at a convention. Thought you’d want to know.* Elias slammed his laptop shut, the ...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 123 words

Rain lashed against the window of the coffee shop, mirroring the tempest within Clara. A photograph had been sent to her. A terrible photo of someone’s arm, bearing an exact copy of her ‘Crimson B...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 106 words

The notification buzzed, a tiny electric shock that shot through Finn. A fan had messaged him with a picture: a tattoo, a perfect replica of his ‘Lost Souls’ sketch. His stomach felt like a knotte...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 102 words

From the moment she saw the picture, Amelia was consumed. The internet, a den of thieves. Her intricately detailed portrait of a hummingbird, replicated without permission on someone's calf. The image...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 100 words

The email arrived like a punch to the gut. *Your work's been immortalized.* The attached photo showed his minimalist landscape, ‘Dusk’s Embrace,’ inked onto a stranger's shoulder. Leon felt a he...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 83 words

He saw the Instagram post and his blood ran cold. A recreation of his 'Celestial Dance' print. A sprawling, vibrant tattoo covering an entire back. Theo felt a pressure in his skull. He threw his pho...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 96 words

The news landed like a slap. *Someone copied your mosaic.* The email showed a photograph of a back, the colorful tessellations of her ‘Harbor Lights’ piece now permanently etched in skin. Maya fel...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 93 words

The phone call was the first warning. Then came the image. His signature, the swirling curves of ‘Whispering Woods’, now on someone’s bicep. Ezra felt a cold dread creep into his bones. He pace...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 88 words

The flyer, advertising a tattoo convention, was the catalyst. It featured a blatant copy of her piece, ‘Aurora Borealis.’ A wave of pure, unfiltered fury washed over Iris. She grabbed the flyer a...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 89 words

He saw the video. A time-lapse of someone getting a tattoo of his ‘Sun Eater’ design. It was perfect. His insides twisted. The artist who did this, obviously skilled, had been disrespectful. He s...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 108 words

The ceramic mug slipped from Daniel's grasp, shattering against the kitchen tiles. He stared at the mess, the coffee spreading like a dark stain, mirroring the darkness settling in his gut. His sister...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 111 words

He found himself pacing the worn rug in his father’s study, the ticking of the grandfather clock a maddening metronome keeping time with the furious thrum in his temples. His brother, Michael, had j...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 97 words

The sudden coldness that crept up her spine nearly sent her reeling. Her daughter, Chloe, had declared her intention to embrace Islam. The words seemed to echo, bouncing off the carefully curated wall...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 95 words

He slammed the car door with a force that made the vehicle shudder. His sister, Emily, was converting to Hinduism, and he was disgusted. The drive home had been filled with forced smiles and stifled p...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 87 words

The heat surged through her. Sweat beaded on her forehead, despite the cool air conditioning blasting in her face. Her son, Ben, had proclaimed his conversion to the Church of Scientology, a religion ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 82 words

He grabbed the nearest object, a decorative vase, and hurled it against the wall. The sound of the shattering porcelain echoed through the otherwise silent apartment. His cousin, Liam, had converted t...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 83 words

The clenching of his jaw was so intense he felt his teeth might crack. His niece, Olivia, announced that she was embracing Wicca. He listened to her explanation, the words washing over him, making him...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 76 words

The air crackled with unspoken tension. His daughter, Maya, was becoming a Jehovah's Witness. He sat across from her, his hands clasped so tightly they ached. He kept his gaze fixed on the table, meti...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 73 words

A tremor ran through her body. Her son, Ethan, was going to become a Rastafarian. The news had landed with the force of a physical blow. She abruptly pushed back from the table, scraping her chair aga...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 89 words

The dinner conversation had gone stale, replaced by an uneasy silence. His brother, Jake, had announced his embrace of Sikhism. He felt a tightness in his throat, making it difficult to swallow. The f...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 157 words

The crayon snapped in Clara’s hand, the sharp crack echoing in the quiet playroom. She glared at the drawing her niece, Lily, had just finished. A stick figure, impossibly thin and with mismatched b...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 156 words

He slammed the car door, the metallic clang a brutal punctuation to his frustration. Rain lashed against the windshield, mirroring the storm raging inside him. Mark ran a hand through his hair, alread...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 146 words

"More juice, Aunt Sarah?" Lily’s innocent voice grated on Sarah's nerves. She forced a smile and poured the juice, her movements stiff. The colorful artwork plastered on the fridge—a depiction of ...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 133 words

The dinner party was a disaster. The conversation, the polite smiles, felt like a suffocating blanket. David, usually a picture of composure, found himself fidgeting, picking at his food. He glanced a...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 128 words

The silence in the art room was broken only by the scratching of pencils and the occasional sigh. Emily stood, arms crossed, observing her niece, Maya, meticulously coloring a drawing. On the page, a ...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 112 words

He stared at the drawing, a crimson flush creeping up his neck. It was pinned to the fridge with a magnet shaped like a heart, a glaring reminder of his past. The childish image, a creature with exagg...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 121 words

The vibrant colors of the playground felt muted to Ben. He watched his nephew, Leo, chase after his friends. On the swing set, a drawing of Leo’s "Buddy," the same character from Ben’s childhood, ...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 121 words

The aroma of freshly baked cookies did nothing to soothe the tension in Michael’s chest. He stared at the drawing of a lanky creature with oversized feet and a mischievous grin, identical to the one...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 119 words

The party was in full swing, but Jessica was trapped. She forced a smile as her sister’s friends complimented Sophie’s drawings. The drawings, of course, were of the “Squeaky” – the same car...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 132 words

The afternoon sun felt heavy on Thomas’s skin. He was meant to be enjoying himself, playing with his nephew, Ethan. But a drawing – a depiction of a gangly figure with mismatched features – rest...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 129 words

The book slammed shut, the sound echoing in the sterile waiting room. Amelia’s knuckles were white against the glossy cover. A biography. Her biography. And she hadn't given a single interview, hadn...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 107 words

He paced, the polished floorboards of his apartment creaking under his relentless movement. The unauthorized biography sat on his coffee table, a sleek black monolith of betrayal. Every word felt like...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 118 words

"Just… wow," Leo muttered, staring at the book in his hands. A slow burn started in his chest. A hot, invasive thing. He felt a sudden urge to rip the pages, tear them to shreds, scatter them to the...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 105 words

The bookstore felt oppressively bright, the air thick with the smell of paper and ink. Clara felt a flush creep up her neck as she held the biography. She recognized the photos – stolen snapshots, m...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 101 words

The silence of the library pressed down on Thomas. He was surrounded by knowledge, yet he felt utterly robbed of any power in this situation. He’d found the book by accident, shelved in the “Local...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 99 words

"Unbelievable," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the hum of the refrigerator. The book was a betrayal. It was an intrusion. Sarah felt a tremor run through her, making her legs weak. She ...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 99 words

The cheap motel room felt like a cage. Liam tossed the book onto the grimy bedspread. He felt a physical pressure on his chest, a tightness he couldn't shake. His life, reduced to bullet points and sh...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 97 words

The phone call ended abruptly. Maria slammed the receiver down, the sound echoing in her usually tranquil kitchen. Her cheeks were flushed. The biography was a fabrication, a distortion of the truth. ...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 101 words

He stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, the book lying open on the counter. The words, the perceptions, the judgments—they felt like a physical weight pressing down on him. David felt hi...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 91 words

The courtroom was vast, imposing. The biography sat on the table in front of her, a silent accusation. Emily felt her stomach churn. The lies, the half-truths, the omissions—they were a constant, co...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 97 words

The first nail gun burst of the day echoed through Martha’s kitchen, making her jump. She slammed the butter dish onto the counter, the ceramic clattering. Honestly, did they have to start so early?...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 110 words

He felt a knot tighten in his stomach. The hammering, relentless and rhythmic, seemed to bore its way into his skull. He’d tried to concentrate on his taxes, but each blow of the hammer was a person...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 107 words

The tremor in her hand spilled coffee down the front of her favorite blouse. “Blast it all!” she snapped, the words sharp in the quiet of her apartment. That infernal buzzing had started again, th...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 106 words

The constant drone of the circular saw felt like a physical weight pressing on David’s chest. He slammed the car door a little too hard, the metallic clang echoing in the otherwise quiet street. He...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 103 words

The throbbing in Sarah’s temples intensified with each strike of the hammer. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to find a moment of peace, but it was useless. The noise was inescapable. She’d spe...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 88 words

He had been looking forward to a relaxing afternoon, finally tackling that book he'd been meaning to read. Now, the peace was shattered. The racket was relentless, a symphony of destruction. He threw...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 92 words

The vibrations through the floor were driving him mad. He could feel his teeth clenching. He envisioned going over there, just ripping the power cord out of the extension cord. He took a deep, shudde...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 79 words

The phone slammed down onto the receiver. "They're at it again!" She spat the words into the empty room. Her carefully curated tranquility had been stolen. She checked her watch for the tenth time in...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 85 words

He bit down hard on his lip as the drill bit into the wall, a sound that grated on every nerve. It felt as if someone was deliberately trying to annoy him. He pictured the house, a hulking monstrosit...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 82 words

The insistent buzzing made her jump, a jolt of pure frustration shooting through her. She slammed the window shut, the glass rattling in its frame, as if it could somehow hold back the noise. She beg...