Gemotions

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 155 words

The phone slipped from Amelia’s hand, a butterfingered accident. She stared at the screen, jaw clenched, as the message she'd typed – a scathing assessment of her boss's performance – was marked...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 127 words

Rain lashed against the window as Thomas tossed the takeaway container in the bin. The text had gone to his sister, not his friend. He could practically hear her shrill voice already, dissecting his l...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 100 words

She saw the notification and recoiled, as if burned. The text, meant for her friend, detailing her disgust with the overly-polished new yoga instructor, had gone to the instructor herself. Her face fl...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 106 words

The tiny screen glowed accusingly in Mark’s hand. He'd poured his heart out to his therapist in a text, explaining the utter exhaustion with his job, but it was now delivered to *his mother*. His fa...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 98 words

The waiter placed the bill on the table. He'd been texting his friend about the awful service, the condescending attitude of their server, and now, it was sent. To the server. His entire body felt rig...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 92 words

“Oops,” Sarah muttered, staring at the message she'd just sent. The text, a detailed chronicle of her disdain for her ex's new girlfriend's fashion sense, was now marked ‘Read’ by… *the new ...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 86 words

The message was sent. The meticulously crafted critique of her neighbour’s overly-manicured lawn, intended for her gardening club group, was now on the phone of her neighbor. A wave of ice coursed t...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 98 words

The phone felt heavy, hot. He’d intended to share his opinion of his best friend’s girlfriend with his other friends. Instead, the message, full of dry observations about the woman’s personality...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 89 words

Her stomach twisted into a tight knot. The carefully worded text message detailing her grievances about the office holiday party – specifically, her boss’s awful karaoke performance – had been d...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 95 words

He saw the notification, his face hardening. The scathing assessment of his coworker's promotion, which he'd intended to send to his wife, now sat in the coworker's inbox. He felt a jolt of anger, a r...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 139 words

The flickering fluorescent lights were a special kind of torture. Janice, hair meticulously coiffed this morning, now felt it was plastered to her forehead. She glared at Mark, who was humming a godaw...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 143 words

The stale air was making Elias's skin crawl. He kept a deliberate distance from Sarah, who was currently attempting to organize her purse. The constant rustling of receipts and the clink of lipstick t...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 101 words

"So," David said, forcing a smile that felt brittle. "This is just great." He watched as Susan, across the elevator, continued to chew gum. The rhythmic snapping noise was enough to drive him mad. He...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 125 words

The smell of cheap cologne and the faint scent of stale coffee filled the elevator car. It was the same cologne, and coffee, that Frank always wore. His coworker, Carol, was rambling on about her week...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 110 words

“Well, this is just peachy, isn’t it?” Barry muttered, adjusting his tie. Across from him, Lisa was frantically checking her phone, the screen illuminating her face with an annoying glow. The on...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 108 words

The silence, broken only by the hiss of the ventilation, was worse than the humming. Arthur watched as Kevin, his colleague, attempted to make small talk. Each word was a fresh assault. His face was ...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 113 words

The overhead light hummed, casting long shadows in the confined space. Emily watched, disgusted, as Robert, the source of her frustration, tapped his foot impatiently. The incessant noise was a direct...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 98 words

The air was thick with unspoken resentments. Michael leaned against the wall, trying to ignore the presence of Jessica, his detested coworker. She was humming and fidgeting. He wanted to tell her to s...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 100 words

The silence was the worst part. It gave Amelia too much time to think. She glared at Tom, who was sitting on the floor, seemingly at ease. His laid-back attitude made her want to scream. She clenched...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 88 words

The scent of her perfume felt like a physical attack. John shifted, trying to create distance between himself and Melissa. The subtle fragrance, combined with her vapid chatter, was a special kind of ...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 134 words

The email sat in Eleanor’s inbox, a stark white rectangle against the muted grey background. Professor Harding was resigning. She read it again, her jaw clenching with each word. The university was ...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 127 words

He’d always felt a certain smugness about Dr. Chen’s work. The man's methodology was, in Daniel's opinion, amateurish at best. Now, Chen was leaving for a more “prestigious” position. Daniel, ...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 129 words

"So, they're letting the old goat go, are they?" Mark grunted, leaning back in his chair, the cheap plastic creaking under his weight. He was addressing the empty chair across from him, the one usuall...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 124 words

The news had hit her like a punch to the gut. Not because she particularly *liked* Professor Ramirez, but the abruptness of it. It was like someone had rearranged the furniture in her brain. One minut...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 104 words

The first thing David did was pour himself a double shot of espresso. His hands were shaking. Professor Miller, the bane of his existence, was departing. Finally. The man’s passive-aggressive feedba...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 119 words

“Well, isn’t this just *convenient*?” Clara muttered, staring at the message on the whiteboard. Professor Bell was leaving. Convenient for *her*, maybe. A sabbatical to write a book on the very ...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 96 words

The hallway was filled with the murmur of students, a low hum of disappointment. Not for Elias. He stood, arms crossed, outside Dr. Thorne’s office. Thorne, a walking cliché of a professor, was lea...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 106 words

The coffee tasted like ash in his mouth. Michael stared out the window, at the grey sky that matched his mood. Dr. Evans, the embodiment of intellectual laziness, was moving on. To a better opportunit...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 92 words

Her mouth was set in a tight line. Dr. Lee, the woman who had always given her the cold shoulder, was stepping down. A new job, they said. Away from the university. Fine. Whatever. Sarah pushed a str...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 86 words

The announcement had been delivered with the usual bureaucratic blandness. Professor Anya Sharma was leaving for a position at a “world-renowned” institution. A fresh, new start for everyone. Jam...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 142 words

The musty smell of the workshop clung to Elias, a familiar shroud he’d cultivated over decades of woodworking. He watched his daughter, Clara, meticulously sanding a birdhouse, her tongue peeking ou...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 133 words

“Another win, huh?” Mark asked, his voice sharp and brittle. His son, Leo, beamed, holding up the trophy. It was the third in as many months, a testament to Leo’s dedication to competitive origa...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 120 words

The aroma of freshly baked sourdough filled the kitchen, a scent once synonymous with comfort and joy for Martha. Now, the smell made her eyes narrow. Her daughter, Olivia, was a baking prodigy. Her I...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 106 words

The rhythmic click-clack of the knitting needles grated on Arthur’s nerves. His daughter, Beatrice, was a knitting machine. He, on the other hand, was now left with the mess he’d started. He’d t...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 84 words

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A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 95 words

"So, you're the one that made that amazing chess board?" The art dealer asked, smiling at Amelia. Amelia nodded proudly, standing beside her daughter, Maya. Amelia’s chess boards had been in the gal...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 85 words

The vibrant colors of the art studio used to be soothing for me. Now, they were a source of frustration. My daughter, Willow, was the rising star, her paintings hanging in galleries. The colours were ...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 69 words

The smell of gunpowder and the crack of gunfire echoed through the backyard. My son, Finn, was shooting. I used to be the one who did that. Now he was a sharp shooter. He was better than I was. I wat...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 70 words

I listened to my daughter, Chloe, playing the piano. The melody was too complex, the notes too clean. I looked at my own piano, abandoned and gathering dust. I hadn't played in years. I felt a sudden...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 63 words

The glow of the computer screen illuminated my son, Caleb’s face. He was in the middle of a game, his fingers flying across the keyboard. He looked at me, grinning. I wanted to just turn and walk aw...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 139 words

The fluorescent lights of the office hummed, a monotonous drone that matched the sound of Sarah's forced pleasantries with Mark. “Oh, that’s just *wonderful* news, Mark,” she’d chirped when he...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 142 words

He felt the unwelcome thrum of anger pulse in his temples as he listened to Lisa's presentation. Her voice, normally a pleasant alto, grated on his nerves. The way she gestured with her hands, the way...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 108 words

The elevator ride felt interminably long. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Emily, both of them silent after the announcement of the promotion's finalists. The scent of her expensive perfume filled t...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 113 words

A sour taste coated his mouth as he watched the celebratory cake being cut. They were fawning all over David, the other candidate. He’d "saved" the last project. The last project that *he* had reall...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 106 words

He tried to focus on his work, but the constant sound of her typing in the next cubicle was grating on his nerves. Every keystroke was a tiny, mocking jab. She was probably already planning her victor...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 96 words

"So, Carol, how's your presentation coming?" he asked, attempting a casual tone that felt alien to him. The question, intended to be a simple query, felt loaded with unspoken challenge. Carol just lo...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 97 words

The small talk in the breakroom felt like an invasion. "Oh, the weather's nice!" "Did you see the game last night?" He hated every forced, cheerful word. Everyone was so concerned with making sure the...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 82 words

The interview panel droned on, their questions perfunctory. He glanced across the table at James, his competitor, and noticed the eager, overly earnest look on his face. The guy was practically vibrat...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 85 words

The congratulatory email from HR arrived, the subject line a bland, impersonal announcement. He deleted it immediately. He couldn't even stand to look at the name of the new Senior Project Manager. T...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 81 words

He watched her leaving, her heels clicking on the tile floor as she passed by. She smiled at him, a wide, insincere gesture, and he just nodded stiffly in response. He returned to his desk, the silen...