Gemotions

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 103 words

The attic air hung thick and stale, a cloying perfume of dust and forgotten things. Clara yanked open the cardboard box, already regretting her sentimental mission. Inside, nestled amongst moth-eaten ...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 97 words

A wave of nausea churned in Liam's stomach. He’d come to sort through his grandfather’s belongings, hoping for some connection to the man he’d only known through sepia-toned recollections. He un...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 100 words

"Ugh!" Maria choked out, her hand flying to her mouth. She’d always envisioned her father as a stoic, devoted man, a rock of stability. Now, looking at these photos, she wished she'd never come to v...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 80 words

The musty basement clung to Leo's clothes, mirroring the unpleasant sensations now gripping his chest. His Great-Aunt Mildred, the sweet, elderly woman who baked him cookies every Christmas, was the s...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 81 words

The air felt thin, tainted. Eleanor stared at the snapshots, her throat constricting. Her mother, the woman who preached tolerance and understanding, had kept a secret life. Photos showed her attendin...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 81 words

He felt a sudden, sharp tightness in his gut. James had been meticulously cataloging his great-uncle's possessions when he stumbled upon a box of old photographs. His great-uncle, a beloved family mem...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 96 words

The images swam before her eyes. Sarah had always believed her ancestors, immigrants who fled hardship in pursuit of freedom, had lived a life defined by their devotion to family and hard work. But th...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 76 words

A tremor ran through David. He’d imagined his uncle, a decorated soldier, as a paragon of bravery. The photos, however, portrayed him in a different light. They showed him grinning over a pile of go...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 80 words

Her stomach lurched. The pictures revealed a hidden facet of her grandmother, the woman she considered her moral compass. The woman had been involved in an affair, her face beaming with illicit joy. S...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 79 words

He felt an urge to retch. Michael had been sifting through his uncle’s belongings, hoping to uncover some clue about a mysterious family fortune, when he found an album. The photographs portrayed hi...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 154 words

The salmon mousse was the first offense. He stared at it, a pale, gelatinous horror shimmering under the buffet lights. He poked at it with his fork, the tines barely making a dent. He’d volunteered...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 115 words

She clutched the podium, the polished wood strangely cold against her damp palms. The scent of floral arrangements, a potent mix of lilies and something cloying, assaulted her nostrils. She hated this...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 110 words

He felt a prickling sensation all over his skin, a feeling that intensified with each overly sentimental anecdote shared by his sister. He shifted uncomfortably in his borrowed suit, the fabric clingi...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 126 words

The tiny, perfectly frosted cupcakes, each topped with a sugary replica of a miniature retirement badge, repulsed him. He had avoided them, but the temptation to escape from it all was palpable. The w...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 95 words

The slideshow of old photographs was playing, and each image felt like a punch to the gut. The grinning faces, the forced poses, the manufactured happiness. He felt a throbbing ache behind his eyes. H...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 104 words

He picked at the tablecloth, tracing the intricate floral pattern with his fingertip. The noise, a constant hum of forced cheer, was making him want to claw out of his skin. He couldn’t seem to swal...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 126 words

The floral arrangements, a riot of orange and yellow, filled him with a quiet rage. He avoided eye contact, staring at his shoes. The speeches were endless, each one more syrupy than the last. He felt...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 95 words

The buffet table was a crime against cuisine. He avoided the sausage rolls, the soggy sandwiches, the neon-colored gelatin desserts. The sound of forced laughter and the cloying smell of perfume were ...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 104 words

He felt a tightening in his chest, a sensation of being trapped. The room was decorated with balloons and banners, a childish assault on his sensibilities. He was desperate for air. He tugged at his t...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 109 words

He surveyed the scene: his father, in a shiny new suit, trying to look enthusiastic; his mother, radiating a false, almost frightening, glee; the gaggle of relatives, their smiles wide and unnervingly...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 158 words

Maya’s phone slipped from her suddenly clammy hand. It clattered against the tile floor of the school bathroom. She stared at the screen, heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. Mrs. G...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 115 words

Liam swallowed hard, the lump in his throat refusing to budge. Mr. Henderson, the history teacher, had commented on his latest Instagram post, a picture of Liam's new motorcycle. The comment wasn't ov...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 101 words

The spaghetti she’d made for dinner suddenly seemed repulsive, the smell too intense. Sarah pushed the plate away. Mr. Peterson, her calculus teacher, had started following her on TikTok. She knew, ...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 104 words

Mark slammed his locker shut, the metal door echoing in the empty hallway. He hadn’t even realized Mr. Chen, his chemistry teacher, was on Twitter. He'd only discovered it when he saw the "follow" n...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 110 words

The clinking of silverware grated on Emily’s nerves. Her parents were chatting animatedly at the dinner table, but she could only focus on the unsettling ache in her stomach. Ms. Rodriguez, her art ...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 99 words

He had to get out of here. He had to be alone. John raced through the cafeteria, dodging students, his bag thumping against his back. Ms. Davis, the choir director, had begun to comment on his workout...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 94 words

The vibrant colors of the art classroom, usually a source of joy for Chloe, now felt like a taunt. Her stomach clenched. Mr. Bellweather, her art history teacher, had messaged her on Facebook, complim...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 97 words

The classroom clock seemed to tick with deliberate slowness. David found it hard to concentrate in class, not after he'd found out that Mr. Johnson, his computer science teacher, followed him on Snapc...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 86 words

Her throat tightened. The smell of freshly baked bread, usually a comfort, made her want to gag. She had just seen that Mr. Evans, her biology teacher, had begun to interact with her on her private, p...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 88 words

The thought of going to her soccer practice made her feel physically ill. She couldn't face the prospect of seeing Ms. Green, her history teacher, again. The discovery of Ms. Green's profile, and the ...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 149 words

The attic air hung thick and stale, a blanket of dust motes dancing in the single shaft of sunlight. Amelia coughed, her hand flying up to her mouth. She'd promised herself she'd sort through her late...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 125 words

He’d always thought he’d be a better son. David scowled at the letter, the paper stained with what appeared to be coffee. He’d found it tucked in a box of his childhood drawings. The ink had fad...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 131 words

The attic felt oppressive, a suffocating heat pressing down on Eleanor. She’d promised herself she would find her grandmother’s jewellery, but the task was proving more difficult than she’d anti...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 119 words

The musty smell of the basement clung to Marcus's clothes. He’d been tasked with clearing out his grandfather's belongings, a chore he’d been putting off. The task itself felt like a violation. H...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 131 words

The air in the spare room was thick with the scent of old paper and something vaguely floral. Sarah, knees aching, straightened and rubbed her back. She’d been tasked with cataloguing her uncle's th...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 101 words

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room. James sank onto the sofa, the letter trembling in his hand. He’d unearthed it while sifting through old photographs. It was a letter he ha...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 107 words

The house felt hollow, echoing with the absence of her father. After his death, Clara had been tasked with clearing out his study, a place she hadn't entered since she was a child. The air was heavy w...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 98 words

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Michael, slumped in a chair, held the letter up to the light, squinting. He’d found it in a box of old keep...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 106 words

The damp chill of the basement seeped into Emily’s bones. She grimaced, the task of cleaning out her great-aunt’s things proving more arduous than she had anticipated. Everything was covered in a ...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 97 words

He hadn't been back to his childhood home in years. Tom surveyed the living room, the furniture draped in white sheets. He'd been tasked with clearing out the house after his parents had passed away. ...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 148 words

The fluorescent lights of the breakroom hummed, a sound that usually blended into the background, but today it grated against Amelia’s nerves. She stared at the half-eaten sandwich in her hand, the ...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 129 words

A wave of nausea swept over Daniel as he read the email. His carefully curated desk, usually a source of pride, now felt tainted. He leaned back in his chair, the cheap plastic creaking under his weig...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 120 words

The coffee tasted like ash in Clara’s mouth. She set the mug down with a clatter, the ceramic echoing in the sterile silence of her cubicle. The announcement, delivered with such practiced sincerity...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 114 words

He wanted to scream, to lash out, but the carefully constructed facade of professionalism held firm. Mark stared at the email on his screen, the words blurring before his eyes. All the late nights, th...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 107 words

The elevator doors opened onto the lobby, the sight of the polished marble and gleaming chrome sending a shiver down Elena’s spine. A bitter twist settled in her gut as she thought about how she use...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 101 words

“Another round of champagne, anyone?” The words, uttered with false gaiety by the team lead, made Leo want to gag. He stared at the bubbly, the tiny bubbles reminding him of the hollowness he now ...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 99 words

The meeting room felt stuffy, the air thick with unspoken truths. Sarah shifted uncomfortably in her chair, the crispness of her freshly ironed blouse now felt constricting. She listened to the carefu...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 88 words

The air conditioning blasted cold air, but Michael still felt a heat rising within. He scanned the office, seeing his coworkers' faces. Their reactions were a nauseating mix of relief, indifference, a...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 103 words

The scent of freshly brewed coffee, usually a comfort, now assaulted Kevin’s senses. He slammed the lid on his travel mug, the sound echoing in the otherwise quiet kitchen. The news, delivered this ...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 100 words

"Congratulations!" The word, spoken with a saccharine smile, was the last straw for Jessica. She excused herself from the team lunch, the aroma of the cafeteria food turning her stomach. The atmospher...