Gemotions

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 114 words

Dust motes danced in the late afternoon sun as Amelia wrestled the shovel into the stubbornly compacted earth. A glint of metal caught her eye. *Great,* she thought, wiping sweat from her brow. More d...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 101 words

Rain lashed against the windows of Liam’s workshop. He jammed the chisel harder against the stubborn wooden box, splinters flying. He wanted to get this antique table restored, but the discovery of ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 89 words

The sunlight beat down on Maya's neck as she finally dislodged the heavy, sealed canister. She’d been enjoying a perfectly fine Saturday morning until her dog, Buster, started obsessively digging in...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 112 words

He slammed the shovel into the ground, a harsh, percussive sound echoing in the otherwise quiet garden. The damn thing was stubborn, resisting every plunge. He’d been trying to plant a new cherry tr...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 101 words

The air inside the dusty attic was thick and stale, each breath a struggle. Sarah was already in a foul mood after the landlord had raised the rent. Then, finding the sealed metal box hidden behind so...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 96 words

He stared at the time capsule, the sunlight glinting off its metal casing. It had been buried deep within the park, unearthed by a recent storm. *Of all the…* he thought, his gaze hardening. He’d ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 96 words

The shovel bit into the ground with a rhythmic thud, each strike a frustrated punctuation mark. He had been planning to relax this afternoon. Now, he was sweating, his back aching, and staring at a me...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 88 words

The unearthed metal box sat in front of Emily, catching the flickering light from the fire. She’d been enjoying a lovely evening with friends until the dog unearthed the cursed object. Now, she was ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 94 words

I dragged the metal box across the damp lawn, the weight of it a further aggravation. The kids had been arguing, the dog had gotten muddy paws everywhere, and now this. A time capsule. Just what I nee...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 105 words

He kicked at the dirt around the metal box, sending a small cloud of dust into the air. He hadn't asked for this. He'd come to the woods for a peaceful walk, not to unearth some bizarre reminder of a ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 150 words

The crumpled paper felt hot in Amelia's clenched fist. She’d found it wedged between the mattress and the bed frame, a childish scrawl of aspirations she’d never known about. "Learn to surf?" it r...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 138 words

He’d left it on the bathroom counter, right next to his toothbrush. The audacity of it! Liam, a bucket list. After seven years, did he think she *wasn’t* part of his life’s ambitions? He wanted ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 97 words

The list was tucked inside his favorite book, a dog-eared copy of *Moby Dick*. He wanted to “Visit the pyramids." He. The man who whined about having to go to the grocery store. A surge of something...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 98 words

It was in the glove compartment, nestled amongst the maps and car manuals. "Learn to play the guitar," the list read. "Write a novel." David, the engineer who thought poetry was "a waste of time." A w...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 105 words

The paper crackled as she unfolded it. "Go skydiving," it declared. "Learn to speak Italian." The gall of it. He had never even mentioned any of these things. He had just wanted to spend his life with...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 114 words

He’d left it on the kitchen counter, next to the pile of unopened mail. "See the Northern Lights," it read, in his neat, almost obsessive, handwriting. "Sail around the world." The unfairness of it ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 80 words

The list, typed on a faded piece of paper, sat innocently on his desk. "Climb Mount Kilimanjaro." The man who hated hiking. A pulse throbbed at her temple. She spun away from the desk, her back stiff...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 73 words

The list, written in a childish, blocky script, was tucked inside a forgotten book. "Learn to cook," it read. "See a Broadway show." She’d always done the cooking, always picked the shows. The audac...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 78 words

It was taped to the inside of the medicine cabinet. “Write a book.” “Start a business.” He’d always dismissed her dreams. And now…a bucket list. She felt a familiar burn of frustration ign...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 59 words

He’d left the list on the passenger seat of the car. "Visit Japan." "Learn to play chess." She felt a sudden, sharp prick of something cold inside her. She started the engine, the sudden roar of th...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 156 words

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the freshly mowed lawn. Just as she was about to settle into her favorite reading chair on the porch, a tap-tap-tap shattered the peace. It was Mrs. Gab...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 156 words

He slammed the back door a little harder than necessary. His afternoon was supposed to be spent in quiet contemplation. Now this. He could feel a pressure building behind his eyes, a familiar throb th...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 129 words

The shovel slipped in her hand, sending a spray of dirt across her pristine white sneakers. "Oh, you're back!" The words burst from her, sharper than intended. "Just wanted to run this by you one mor...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 110 words

The email notification pinged, and the subject line blazed: "Garden Request." A slow burn started in her chest. She already knew who it was from, and what it was about. Opening the email, her gaze im...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 122 words

The clatter of the gate opening made him jump. He'd been meticulously trimming the roses, each snip calculated to create the perfect arch. He turned to find Mr. Peterson beaming, a gardening magazine ...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 136 words

"Excuse me, dear, do you have a moment?" The shrill voice pierced the early morning quiet, and she nearly dropped her coffee mug. She closed her eyes briefly, feeling a familiar tension in her shoulde...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 133 words

The afternoon sun beat down on his back as he wrestled with the recalcitrant mower. Just as he finished the final pass, a shadow fell over him. It was old man Hemmings, and he looked like he was about...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 130 words

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air. She savored the scent as she settled onto her patio swing, eager to enjoy her solitude. A rap on the fence, and the silence shattered. It was Sarah, f...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 121 words

He had finally managed to carve out some quiet time in his day. The kids were at their grandparents, the house was silent, and he had a rare moment to himself. The peacefulness was instantly shattered...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 152 words

The wind whipped through the branches of the ancient oak, scattering leaves across the meticulously raked lawn. He finally had everything just as he wanted it. A sharp, insistent knocking erupted from...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 99 words

The flyer, plastered crookedly onto the lobby door, practically vibrated with smugness. *Conversion to Condominiums! Opportunity Knocks!* Sarah crumpled it in her fist, the paper crackling like a dyin...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 102 words

He slammed the door to his apartment so hard the frame shuddered. The realtor’s chirpy voice, promising “luxury living” in his perfectly adequate, rent-controlled studio, still echoed in his ear...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 80 words

The email notification popped up on her phone, and she nearly dropped it. A mass email from management: "Important Announcement Regarding the Future of Your Home!" Her fingers tightened around the pho...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 91 words

He had been planning to finally paint the living room. The project, previously postponed for months, was now officially off the table. The prospect of shelling out a fortune to buy the place he alread...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 96 words

The first thought that flashed through Emily’s mind upon reading the notice was, “Are you kidding me?” She stared at the bold, cheerful lettering on the paper, a paper the management company cle...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 89 words

He stared out the window, watching the rain streak down the glass. The building's announcement felt like a personal affront. It was his haven, a haven that would now be disrupted by the frantic energy...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 80 words

“Oh, brilliant,” Leo muttered, the words barely audible. He tossed the notice onto the kitchen counter with a dismissive flick of his wrist. He was *not* going to spend his weekends cleaning and t...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 77 words

The elevator doors opened onto a scene of pure irritation. A gaggle of people, all with perfectly coiffed hair and forced smiles, were clustered in the hallway. Sarah tightened her grip on her groceri...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 75 words

He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands. The building conversion felt like an unwelcome intrusion into his carefully constructed life. The announcement was a sudden, jarring shift, the ...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 73 words

The realtor’s words, "prime location," grated on Maya's nerves. The building's "prime location" had always been the source of its problems: the noise, the traffic, the relentless development that sw...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 117 words

The coffee shop’s low hum usually soothed Amelia, but today it grated on her nerves. She flipped through the online magazine again, her jaw clenched. There it was: her college essay, “The Alchemy ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 121 words

A tremor ran through David’s hand as he held his phone, staring at the screen. The email from his old college, gushing about the publication of his application essay, practically vibrated with force...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 97 words

The newspaper felt flimsy and inadequate in Chloe’s hands. The print blurred as she focused on the featured essay: her own. It had been ten years, a lifetime. “The Unseen World of Basement Taxider...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 120 words

Liam tapped his foot against the worn wooden floor of his apartment, the repetitive sound echoing in the small space. His essay, "My Existential Crisis at the DMV," was now a case study for future app...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 112 words

The librarian gave a gentle, understanding smile as Sarah entered the reading room. Sarah forced a smile back, but the muscles in her face felt stiff. “Can I help you?” the librarian asked. Sarah ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 102 words

He stared at the glowing screen, a muscle in his cheek twitching. He had poured his heart and soul into that essay, "The Ballad of the Bus Stop Bench." Now, it was being used as an example for other s...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 117 words

"Seriously?" Maya muttered to herself, staring at the email. Her essay, "Confessions of a Cinnamon Roll Addict," was featured on the college’s website. She felt a slow burn start in her stomach, lik...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 103 words

The phone rang, shattering the quiet of the afternoon. Alex answered, a weary tone in her voice. It was her mother, bubbling with excitement. "Did you see? Your essay! It's an example!" The words were...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 92 words

He scrolled through the website, his fingers tapping a restless rhythm against the desk. "The Secret Life of a Lawn Gnome," the essay read. He had written it years ago, feeling vulnerable and exposed....

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 101 words

The lecture hall felt stifling. The professor, a man she vaguely remembered from a freshman orientation, was using her essay, "My Love Affair with the Library," as an example of good writing. Olivia f...