Gemotions

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 233 words

Sarah stared at the online journal, her breath catching in her throat. Her name wasn't there. Instead, a name she'd never seen before, "Brenda Miller," stared back at her from the byline of her meticu...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 195 words

John's jaw clenched. The email confirming the publication of his article on the efficacy of a new cancer treatment had just arrived. A wave of confusion washed over him. He clicked the link, his finge...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 176 words

The newspaper lay open on the kitchen table, the headline screaming, "Local Chef Revolutionizes Cuisine with Innovative Techniques." Emily froze, the coffee cup halfway to her lips. Her name was nowhe...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 141 words

The email arrived at 3:00 AM. It announced the publication of her research on sustainable farming practices. Maria blinked, her eyes still heavy with sleep. The subject line was promising, but the nam...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 135 words

David, a junior programmer, checked his online portfolio. The article he wrote on machine learning was gone. In its place: the exact same article, signed by a senior developer, someone he had always a...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 143 words

Eliza discovered the deception during a casual scroll through a scientific journal. Her work on the social behavior of baboons, years of it, was being credited to someone else. The stranger's name shi...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 131 words

Michael's essay, a deeply personal reflection on his experience with PTSD, was now credited to another author. He saw it on a blog he'd contributed to several times. He saw his words, his vulnerabilit...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 126 words

The novel, the one she’d bled for, was published. She checked the online retailers. Her heart did a flip. The book was there, the cover was right, the story was hers. But the name, her pen name…it...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 134 words

Liam, a freelance journalist, found the article he wrote on the plight of refugees in a popular magazine. The byline had a different name. He had spent weeks in refugee camps interviewing people, coll...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 114 words

The discovery came in the form of a casual search engine result. Her research on the effects of climate change on a specific coral reef was now online. But it wasn't *her* name that appeared. It was t...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 127 words

The clipboard slipped from Maya's grasp, clattering to the gym floor. She stared at the laminated sheet, the names blurring through a sudden film in her eyes. It couldn't be right. Her heart hammered ...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 132 words

Liam ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, the rough strands catching on his knuckles. He reread the email, the words mocking him with their cold, impersonal tone. “Thank you for your inte...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 104 words

The weight of the silence in the locker room was crushing. Sarah stood frozen, her equipment bag still slung over her shoulder, the familiar weight feeling foreign and burdensome. Everyone else was al...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 122 words

"No way," Jackson mumbled, the word barely a whisper. He looked at the list taped to the door, his eyes darting back and forth, searching for a phantom name that wasn't there. His stomach clenched, a ...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 116 words

The afternoon sun beat down on Emily as she walked away from the tryouts. The vibrant green of the field suddenly seemed to mock her, the cheerful sounds of birds chirping jarring. She could barely fe...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 96 words

"Excuse me?" Leo asked, his voice cracking. He gestured towards the list, his finger trembling. The coach, a gruff man with a perpetually stern expression, just nodded curtly. Leo felt a cold wave of ...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 102 words

The fluorescent lights of the gymnasium buzzed overhead, adding a discordant soundtrack to the thumping in Chloe's ears. She felt her face flush, the heat rising up her neck. A profound hollowness had...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 100 words

David slumped against the wall, the rough brick scraping against his shoulder. He felt a peculiar numbness spread through his limbs, as though someone had replaced his blood with ice water. He hadn't ...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 110 words

The silence in the car was thick, heavy, suffocating. Anna stared out the window, watching the blurring scenery, her mind a tangled mess. She tried to replay the tryouts, searching for a misstep, a fl...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 105 words

"But... why?" Mark managed to stammer, his voice barely audible above the rising tide of his own internal turmoil. The coach merely shrugged, a gesture that felt like a slap in the face. Mark felt an ...

An employee is transferred to a different department 156 words

The fluorescent lights of the accounting department hummed a monotonous tune, a sound Sarah knew intimately. Now, in the brightly colored, open-plan space of the marketing team, the music felt…wrong...

An employee is transferred to a different department 150 words

He stared at the spreadsheet, a jumble of numbers that swam before his eyes. Yesterday, he’d been deep in the warehouse, cataloging inventory, surrounded by the familiar scent of cardboard and machi...

An employee is transferred to a different department 132 words

The elevator doors hissed open, revealing the hushed atmosphere of the legal department. Amelia, still clutching her box of personal belongings, felt a tremor run through her. The low, serious murmur ...

An employee is transferred to a different department 111 words

The new office hummed with the incessant tap-tap-tapping of keyboards, a percussive rhythm that assaulted David's ears. He sat at his new desk, a cold, sterile expanse of grey. He stared out the windo...

An employee is transferred to a different department 107 words

The artist’s studio was a riot of color and scent - turpentine, paint, and wood - a stark contrast to the sterile environment of her old office. Now, she was surrounded by canvases, easels, and a gr...

An employee is transferred to a different department 105 words

He picked up the phone, the receiver feeling unfamiliar in his hand. He used to be a technician, fixing problems with the machines. Now, he was in customer service, and the weight of their complaints ...

An employee is transferred to a different department 115 words

The cafeteria was loud. He had worked in shipping and receiving, where the only sounds had been the rumble of trucks and the metallic clang of loading docks. Now, he was in the human resources departm...

An employee is transferred to a different department 118 words

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, usually a comfort, now felt overwhelming. Clara, surrounded by the gleaming chrome and glass of the design studio, felt a cold dread creep up her spine. She had spe...

An employee is transferred to a different department 109 words

He stood in the middle of the open-plan office, surrounded by the rhythmic clatter of keyboards. He felt like an intruder. He’d been comfortable, secure, in the accounting department, crunching numb...

An employee is transferred to a different department 110 words

The air conditioning in the new office felt frigid. The project lead was talking about "agile methodologies," and "deliverables," words that floated around her head, unattached. She took a deep breath...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 135 words

The notification popped up: "Mark Thompson sent you a friend request." Sarah nearly choked on her coffee. Her hand froze mid-air, the mug suspended inches from her mouth. It had been nearly twenty yea...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 135 words

Michael stared at the screen, a strange hollowness filling his chest. The request was from Kevin "The Hammer" Harrison. He hadn't thought about Kevin in years. Years. A wave of dizziness washed over h...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 116 words

"Is that...?" Emily mumbled, squinting at her phone. The name, "Jason Miller," swam into focus. It felt like something she had to read twice. The same Jason Miller who had spread rumors about her, who...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 115 words

David froze mid-sentence, his voice catching in his throat. He’d been explaining his work project to a colleague, but the words faltered. "…And then we anticipate…" He trailed off as the notific...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 109 words

The email pinged, a little musical chime that usually meant something exciting. But this time, the chime felt like a shrill alarm. "You have a friend request from: Brittany Davis." The name slammed in...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 98 words

He saw the notification as he was scrolling through his feed. A name he hadn't thought of in decades. "Ryan Carter sent you a friend request." His breath hitched. Ryan Carter. The bane of his existenc...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 108 words

The request arrived just as she was about to go to bed, the blue light of the screen momentarily blinding. She squinted, then gasped. "Chad Miller." Her heart rate accelerated. He had been a constant ...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 104 words

The cursor on the screen seemed to mock her. "Brian O'Connell sent you a friend request." She took a deep, involuntary breath. Her vision felt a little fuzzy. Brian O'Connell. Her former tormentor fro...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 93 words

He nearly dropped his phone. "Lisa Johnson wants to be your friend." He re-read the message, his brow furrowed. Lisa Johnson, the queen bee who had made his school life a misery. The air in his apartm...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 114 words

"You have a new friend request: Kevin Davies." She felt her face flush, heat rising up her neck. She pushed away from her desk, the sudden movement causing her chair to roll back a few inches. Kevin D...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 165 words

The balloons. They were still inflated, bobbing gently in the stale air of the community hall. Amelia traced a finger over the crudely drawn banner, "Happy Birthday, Amelia!" The letters, crafted with...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 116 words

He paced the length of his apartment, the tiny space suddenly feeling vast and empty. The email, with its curt words of regret and sudden cancellation, burned in his memory. Mark had spent weeks plann...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 115 words

"But... but you said…" Sarah stammered, her voice catching in her throat. The phone line crackled with static, the voice on the other end a muffled apology. Her mother. The cancellation. The shock o...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 113 words

The park was supposed to be overflowing with laughter and chatter. Now, only the rustle of leaves in the autumn wind filled the air. David scanned the empty picnic area, his shoulders slumped. The pic...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 109 words

The air in the restaurant was thick with the scent of garlic and simmering sauces. He’d envisioned this moment for weeks: the clinking of glasses, the warm glow of candlelight, the joyous faces of h...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 108 words

"This can’t be right," she muttered, rereading the text. Her carefully chosen outfit suddenly felt constricting, the heels on her shoes suddenly too high. The thought that everyone was not waiting f...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 90 words

The house was dark, eerily silent. John stared at the screen, the stark words of cancellation mirroring the emptiness he suddenly felt. The decorations, meticulously placed, now seemed like a cruel jo...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 100 words

The community center was supposed to be a hub of laughter and celebration. Instead, only the hum of the refrigerator broke the silence. The cake, frosted with elaborate designs, sat untouched, a lonel...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 90 words

"But… why?" he whispered, the question hanging in the air, unanswered. The carefully curated playlist, designed to set the perfect mood, now blasted from the speakers, a soundtrack to an unwritten s...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 94 words

The confetti cannons remained unpopped. The dance floor sat silent, reflecting the flashing lights. Her carefully planned entrance, the music cue, the first words she had prepared, they all seemed mea...