Gemotions

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 177 words

The gallery owner, a slick man named Reeves, had a way of looking at you that made you feel like a bug under a magnifying glass. Today, that feeling was amplified tenfold. "So, you're saying you *didn...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 150 words

A cold sweat slicked my forehead as I stared at the reflection in the tattoo parlor's grimy window. The shop buzzed with the low thrum of needles, the air thick with the scent of antiseptic and someth...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 141 words

The phone felt heavy in my hand. The screen displayed the image again: a man's bicep, adorned with my 'Shattered Moon' – my most prized piece. My apartment, usually filled with the comforting chaos ...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 151 words

The rain hammered against the windows of the cafe, mirroring the frantic rhythm of my thoughts. Across the small table, my friend, Liam, looked at me with concern etched on his face. “You look awful...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 135 words

The gallery was a sterile white box. My studio, normally a sanctuary, felt like a prison. My stomach knotted, my shoulders ached, and my vision swam as I replayed the news that had come on the social ...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 129 words

“This can’t be happening,” I stammered, my voice cracking. I clutched the phone tighter, my knuckles white. Across the screen, the image of my art on someone’s leg. The artist's name was below...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 111 words

The vibrant colors of my paintings seemed to mock me from the walls of the studio. Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air, a scene of beauty and peace that f...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 114 words

The bustling marketplace was a symphony of sounds and smells, but I was oblivious to it all. My mind was consumed by the image on my phone – a tattoo of my 'Whispering Woods' scene on a stranger's s...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 107 words

I sat in front of my easel, staring at the canvas. The blank expanse seemed to mock me. I had been working on a new piece, the culmination of months of effort. And now, the news. A tattoo of one of my...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 141 words

The courtroom felt suffocating. The air was thick with the scent of stale coffee and desperation. I sat on the hard bench, my hands clasped tightly in my lap. The lawyer's words, a drone of legal jarg...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 110 words

The phone slipped from Martha’s numb fingers, clattering against the kitchen tile. Her sister, Sarah, a vibrant woman who’d always been the rock of the family, had just calmly announced her decisi...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 102 words

He paced the length of his cramped apartment, the worn rug a familiar landscape under his frantic strides. “It's just... so sudden,” he muttered to the empty room, his voice hoarse. His brother, M...

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

The sunlight streaming through the stained-glass window of the church felt oppressive against Eleanor's skin. She sat stiffly in the pew, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, knuckles white. Her daug...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 103 words

“But… your grandmother…” David stammered, the words catching in his throat like a swallowed sob. His grandson, Liam, with the bright, curious eyes, now wanted to convert to Islam. The air in t...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 104 words

The metallic tang of blood filled Amelia’s mouth. She bit down harder on her lip, a habit she’d picked up in times of distress. Her brother, Thomas, was converting to a faith that seemed to delibe...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 86 words

He stared at the menu, the colorful illustrations of unfamiliar dishes mocking his attempt to order. His son, Ethan, now preferred Halal food, a consequence of his recent conversion to Islam. Every fo...

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

Her hands shook as she attempted to prepare the traditional Thanksgiving meal. The kitchen, once a place of comfort and connection, now felt like a battleground. Her daughter, Chloe, had declared her ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 88 words

The news had hit him like a physical blow. He sat frozen on the porch swing, the rhythmic creaks of the chains mocking his inner turmoil. His sister, Clara, had decided to become a Hare Krishna. The i...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 81 words

The cold tile floor offered no solace to Clara. She sat cross-legged, staring at the ceiling, her breath hitching. Her son, Daniel, had informed her with an almost casual detachment that he was embrac...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 88 words

He slammed his fist on the table, making the glasses jump. His daughter, Sophia, had just told him she was becoming a Wiccan. The fury coursing through him threatened to consume him. He struggled to r...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 171 words

A chill snaked up Leo's spine as he stared at the drawing. A stick figure with mismatched eyes, perched atop a lopsided tree, identical to the friend he'd conjured during his own bleak childhood. His ...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 145 words

Eliza’s throat constricted. There, in her niece Maya's crayon creation, was the familiar, unsettling form of Bartholomew, the wolf she had invented. He had been a refuge in her youth, a guardian aga...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 136 words

"He's back," Finn choked out, his voice a gravelly whisper. The painting, a watercolor of a red-eyed scarecrow, stared back at him. It was a perfect replica of the terrifying imaginary friend, Silas, ...

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

The air crackled with a strange energy as Sam looked at the crude sketch. A grinning, multi-limbed creature, identical to "Gleep", his childhood companion. His forehead throbbed. He looked at his neph...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 138 words

The artist's studio, typically a haven of peace, now felt like a prison. Sarah stared at the pastel portrait her niece, Chloe, had created. A little girl with black, vacant eyes. It was a mirror image...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 97 words

“He’s there, Auntie!” Mark flinched as he heard his niece, Emily’s, excited shout. He focused on the drawing. The hulking, misshapen form of “Grim”, the imaginary companion from his childh...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 126 words

The vibrant colors of the playground felt alien. Michael squinted at the drawing, a crayon depiction of a smiling cat with razor-sharp claws. It was "Scratch," his childhood imaginary friend. He squee...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 120 words

The aroma of freshly baked cookies filled the kitchen, but it couldn't soothe Anya's unease. Her niece, Sofia, handed her a drawing of a smiling clown with unnervingly blank eyes. He looked familiar. ...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 114 words

The hospital room felt stifling. Thomas stared at the artwork propped up on his niece, Mia's, bed. A skeletal figure with a top hat. The embodiment of “Bones,” his childhood friend. He felt utterl...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 120 words

The weight of the house settled on Liam's shoulders. The drawings were scattered across the floor, all featuring the same grotesque figure: "Slither," his childhood companion, now manifesting in his n...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 162 words

The flickering gaslight cast elongated shadows across the damp cobblestone street as Clara clutched the offending book. Its cheap paper crinkled under her grip. Her knuckles were white, and her breath...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 153 words

A tremor ran through Elias's hands as he reread the section on his mother. The biographer, some stranger, had painted her as a saintly woman, sacrificing everything for her son. The audacity of it! El...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 140 words

The aroma of burnt coffee hung heavy in the air. Amelia stared at her reflection in the darkened window, the book clutched in her trembling hand. It seemed her whole life had been reduced to a collect...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 133 words

The lawyer’s office felt like a mausoleum, cold and suffocating. Liam tapped his foot against the polished floor, a nervous rhythm that echoed in the silent room. He'd been reduced to a footnote in ...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 144 words

The librarian gave a polite smile as she handed Maya the book. Maya nearly dropped it. A wave of heat flushed her cheeks. Her fingers felt numb. She quickly found the relevant shelf and hid herself be...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 130 words

“This… this isn’t me,” David stammered, the book shaking in his hands. He'd stumbled upon it in a used bookstore, a lurid cover promising a scandalized life. It was his. Or, at least, someone ...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 133 words

The vibrant colors of the art gallery seemed to mock her. The book, tucked into her purse, felt like a lead weight. Sarah, once a celebrated artist, was now the subject of a biography filled with goss...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 111 words

The stale air of the courtroom felt thick with expectation. The book, propped open on the defense table, held her future. Grace felt a cold, clammy sweat break out on her forehead. The author had twis...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 163 words

The scent of salt and seaweed filled her lungs, but it did little to calm the turmoil inside. Amelia, a sailor by trade, stared out at the choppy sea from her small cabin. She'd found the book washed ...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 133 words

He paced his sterile apartment, the book clutched in his hand. Every sentence, every fabricated detail, was a fresh stab. Michael, a scientist, had dedicated his life to truth. Now, he was trapped in ...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 150 words

The hammering started before dawn. Sarah clawed at the sheets, her breath catching in her throat. Sleep was a luxury she couldn't afford, not anymore. Each jarring thud was a fresh wave of panic, a re...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 124 words

The rhythmic whine of the saw ripped through the afternoon, a mechanical scream that echoed in Leo's skull. He gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white, staring at the mail on the passenger seat. An...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 122 words

"Can't you tell them to stop?" Marie whined, tears stinging her eyes. Her husband, David, stared back at her with a vacant look, the same look he had given her for weeks. The relentless percussion of ...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 98 words

The constant vibrations were shaking the foundation of Emily's sanity. Every nail hammered, every board sawed, was a nail in the coffin of her composure. She had been on edge since her job loss, and t...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 85 words

The incessant drilling felt like a direct assault on Michael’s brain. He ran his hands through his hair, a nervous habit that had intensified since the renovations started. He was struggling with th...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 88 words

The stench of sawdust and the deafening roar of machinery were a constant presence in Amelia’s life, a physical weight that pressed down on her chest. She needed a quiet space, a moment of peace, bu...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 111 words

The man couldn't sleep. The hammering, the sawing, the constant, unwavering activity next door had become an unholy symphony in his brain. His heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the ceiling, t...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 94 words

The neighbor's house was transformed into a monster. Every morning, the noise started before dawn and continued until dusk, a barrage of sound that made Jane’s teeth ache. She would stare at the hou...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 80 words

The noise was driving me mad. I'd started to hallucinate, seeing faces in the shadows, hearing whispers in the wind. The constant vibrations shook me to my core. I knew I was cracking, but I didn't k...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 79 words

"Please, just... please," Elias whispered, clutching his chest. His heart felt like a trapped bird, fluttering frantically. The renovations, the incessant clamor, had become a physical manifestation o...