Gemotions

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 166 words

The shovel scraped against something solid. Another rock, she thought, sighing. Years of this – the digging, the planting, the futile hope that something, anything, would actually flourish in this w...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 137 words

Rain lashed against the corrugated iron roof of his shed. He pulled his collar higher, the damp air doing little to soothe the chill that had settled deep within him. He was rummaging for a forgotten ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 152 words

She knelt in the dusty attic, a handkerchief pressed to her mouth to combat the rising tide of allergies and old memories. The air hung thick with the ghosts of lives lived and promises broken. She wa...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 129 words

The sun beat down on the parched earth of the old playground. He tugged at his collar, the heat a physical manifestation of his simmering unease. He was supposed to be enjoying this, this family picni...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 142 words

The excavation project was going nowhere. The team was understaffed and the budget was shrinking. Liam felt the familiar tightening in his chest. A profound sense of stagnation and resentment towards ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 121 words

The wind whipped around him, carrying the scent of salt and decay. He stood at the edge of the abandoned pier, the grey water reflecting the overcast sky. The sea always seemed to mirror his mood. The...

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

The old house creaked and groaned around her. She was determined to sell it, a move that felt both liberating and like a betrayal. She moved slowly through the rooms, each step a reminder of the life ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 132 words

The flickering neon lights of the diner cast long shadows across the empty tables. He nursed his coffee, the lukewarm liquid doing little to soothe the growing unease. He felt trapped, stuck in a life...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 129 words

The cold seeped into his bones, even through the layers of his winter coat. He was forced to help clear the accumulated junk that had piled up in his deceased father’s garden. The old man had never ...

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

The weight of the past seemed to press down on her, suffocating her. The anniversary was looming. The events that had led her to her current state. She felt a familiar hollowness, like an echo of loss...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 112 words

The leather-bound journal felt heavy in her hands, heavier than it should. Sunlight streamed through the dusty attic window, illuminating the swirling dust motes that danced in the air. She’d been u...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 116 words

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the storm inside him. He sat hunched in the armchair, the crumpled bucket list clutched in his fist. "Learn to play the saxophone." He stared at the words, h...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 106 words

The scent of lavender, usually a comfort, now felt like an insult. She smoothed the crisp, white linen of the bed, the sheet’s softness grating against her fingertips. On the nightstand lay a small ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 84 words

He had found the list hidden under the mattress. A cheap, spiral-bound notebook, its pages filled with his loopy handwriting. “Write a novel.” He snorted. He’d always said he hated reading. The ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 93 words

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the kitchen floor. She stood at the counter, meticulously chopping vegetables, the rhythmic thud of the knife a percussive beat to her turmoil. She had found...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 88 words

He stared out the window, the city lights blurring through his tear-filled eyes. The list lay on the windowsill, bathed in the neon glow of the street below. “Learn to speak Spanish.” He never men...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 86 words

The old house felt hollow, the silence amplified by the lingering scent of his cologne. She found the list in his desk drawer, a carefully folded piece of paper. "Sail around the world." He'd always d...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 89 words

The air in the garage was thick with the smell of motor oil and regret. He held the list in his hand, a faded piece of card. "Build a classic car." He'd always mocked his own dream to work on old cars...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 77 words

The cafe buzzed with the chatter of lunchtime customers. She sat alone at a small table, the unopened list resting beside her coffee cup. "Visit Italy." They had always talked about it. She’d even s...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 72 words

He held the list, its pages worn and dog-eared, in his trembling hands. "Start a family." He had never wanted children, never expressed any interest. He’d let her dream alone, the only one. He close...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 187 words

The audacity of it! Mildred stood on her porch, arms crossed, as Mrs. Gable from next door gestured expansively at the strip of sun-drenched lawn. “Just a small plot,” Mrs. Gable was saying, her v...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 146 words

He watched from his kitchen window, the steam from his morning coffee clouding the glass. Mrs. Henderson, a woman whose relentless cheerfulness had always grated on him, was knocking on his door. He i...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 140 words

The man’s head throbbed. He’d barely slept, tossing and turning, haunted by the image of his ex-wife’s smiling face. Now, this. He saw Mr. Davis, his overly friendly neighbor, approaching him fr...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 154 words

Agnes’ knuckles were white as she gripped the handle of her garden shears. She’d spent the last hour trimming her rose bushes, meticulously removing every dead leaf and spent bloom. The vibrant co...

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

The heat was oppressive, hanging heavy in the air like a damp blanket. He sprawled on his porch swing, watching the dust devils dance across the parched lawn. He'd been looking forward to a peaceful a...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 141 words

"So, you’re saying…" Eleanor began, her voice carefully controlled, "you want to dig up *my* backyard?" The words, meant to sound casual, came out sharper than she intended. She felt a knot formin...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 135 words

The old woman sat on her rocking chair, watching the neighborhood kids play in her yard. Her hands, gnarled with age, clutched a worn blanket. The scene was pleasant, but she felt a tightening in her ...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 120 words

The air shimmered with the heat of the afternoon. He was inside, scrolling through his phone, when a knock on the door jolted him. He opened it to find a beaming Ms. Rodriguez. He didn’t particularl...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 95 words

The meticulously placed ornaments on his lawn were his pride. He’d spent years perfecting the arrangement, each piece carefully chosen. Then, his neighbor, Mr. Harrison, was at his door. “A few v...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 115 words

The weight of the day settled on her shoulders. She wanted nothing more than to curl up with a book, but the persistent knock at her door was a reminder. There was that woman, Mrs. Miller, with a sugg...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 149 words

The notice, a stark white rectangle, was plastered on the door of the laundry room. Condominium Conversion. He crumpled it in his fist. He’d lived in this building for fifteen years, since the day h...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 115 words

She slammed the phone down, the receiver practically bouncing off the hook. Her agent, the insufferable David, had called again. “Market value,” he’d chirped, “unprecedented opportunity.” He...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 133 words

The elevator door chimed open, revealing the new property manager, a woman in a perfectly tailored suit. He barely acknowledged her. He walked past her, his gaze locked on the peeling wallpaper. A det...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 115 words

"Imagine," he said, the words barely escaping his lips, "having to *pay* for the privilege of living here." He was talking to the ancient cat, Mr. Snuggles, who, of course, offered no response. He ra...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 101 words

The first open house was scheduled for Saturday. He found himself deliberately avoiding the lobby, the notices, the cheerful, oblivious real estate agents. He started taking the stairs. He’d always...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 108 words

He stared at the check, a severance payment from his previous job. The amount was meant to be a lifeline. He felt an intense loathing for the money. It wasn't enough. It would never be enough. He wal...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 101 words

She took a long, hot shower, letting the water beat against her aching muscles. The steam clouded the mirror, reflecting a face she barely recognized. The transformation had been brutal. She’d alwa...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 111 words

The aroma of freshly baked bread usually filled him with a sense of contentment. His neighbor, Mrs. Rodriguez, baked every Sunday. Today, the smell was an affront. He saw the renovations as a persona...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 107 words

He spent his weekends locked in his apartment, the curtains drawn. He couldn’t bring himself to talk to anyone. He felt like an island. Isolated. His guitar, usually a source of solace, sat gatheri...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 103 words

He watched the construction workers from his window. They were demolishing the building across the street. The noise, the dust, the constant activity. It was all a reminder of what was coming. He pic...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 133 words

The email sat in Eleanor’s inbox, glowing with the sterile light of academic achievement. "Congratulations! Your essay, 'The Weight of Watermelons,' has been selected for publication as a prime exam...

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

He saw it on the bookstore's display: "Essays That Got You In." There, his name, plastered across the cover alongside the essay he'd written about climbing the old oak tree in his backyard. A wave of ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 107 words

The university's website: there it was, his painstakingly crafted essay, the words he had so carefully chosen, now under the glaring spotlight. She scrolled through the comments section, each positive...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 109 words

"Look, it's you!" His sister, beaming, pointed at the glossy page in the admissions brochure. His essay, the one about learning to play the oboe, was the featured piece. He mumbled a congratulations, ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 107 words

He saw the email as he waited tables, the fluorescent lights of the diner buzzing overhead. "We are pleased to announce..." he didn’t bother finishing the sentence. He knew. His carefully crafted wo...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 123 words

He stared at the page, the words a betrayal. "Why did it have to be *that* essay?" he muttered, running a hand through his hair. The essay he had almost not submitted, the one about his complicated re...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 90 words

The anthology, "The Art of the College Essay," sat on her desk. His essay, "The Language of Silence," was highlighted with a yellow marker. She flipped through the pages, the text mocking her with its...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 83 words

The essay, published online, was accompanied by a smiling author photo. He closed the browser, the bright image searing itself onto his mind. The school had chosen his essay, but not him. He stared at...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 80 words

He saw the article on Twitter, a shared link with a celebratory caption. "Wow! Your essay, 'The Ghost of Grandfather Mountain,' is featured!" He felt the heat rise up his neck. He went to the bathroom...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 82 words

He found it in the alumni magazine, a full-page spread. His essay, about the transformative power of a childhood summer camp, looked pristine, untouched. He slammed the magazine shut, a sharp crack ec...