Gemotions

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 97 words

The slam of the screen door echoed across the lawn as Mrs. Gable, clutching a half-eaten scone, saw Buster, the golden retriever, frolicking in her prize-winning petunias again. Her face flushed crims...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 96 words

Rain lashed down as I watched, mortified, from my kitchen window. Sparky, my tiny chihuahua, was face to face with a slobbering Great Dane, thanks to a hole in the fence. A shiver, not entirely from t...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 85 words

The clinking of the dog tags was the first sign. Then, the familiar brown blur. I was weeding the vegetable garden when the German Shepherd, Max, bounded in, trampling my newly planted tomato seedling...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 103 words

"Oh, for heaven's sake," I muttered, slamming the lid of the trash can. The stench of spoiled food and discarded diapers mingled with the sweet scent of honeysuckle, but I could barely focus on the sm...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 83 words

The squeak of the garden gate announced it. Another arrival. This time, it was Fluffy, their fluffy poodle. I let out a frustrated sigh. I considered staying inside, hoping someone else would notice ...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 68 words

I pulled my baseball cap lower, hoping to obscure my face. I hadn’t even finished mowing my lawn when Duke, the beagle, slipped under the fence. His owner, Mr. Miller, was standing right there. My ...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 92 words

The afternoon sun blazed. I was attempting to enjoy a cup of tea on the patio when I saw the familiar shape of a little pug. My skin prickled with a wave of discomfort. The pug, Winston, was now happ...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 65 words

“Oh, great,” I groaned internally, watching the golden retriever, Bailey, bound across my lawn, chasing a rogue tennis ball. My hands tightened into fists. I knew this was the fifth time this wee...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 69 words

A low growl escaped my lips as I saw the husky, Luna, staring at me through the gap in the fence. Her eyes said, “Let’s play!” My lips thinned. I'd just finished painting the fence. A wave of i...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 83 words

The screen door slammed. I hurried back inside, pretending to look for something. I could see the border collie, Scout, staring at me. I could not face the humiliation again. I was getting ready to l...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 158 words

Sweat beaded on Liam’s forehead despite the cold January air. He gripped his worn basketball until his knuckles turned white. Coach Miller’s office door loomed, a portal to either triumph or utter...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 124 words

Sarah felt a flush creep up her neck as she listened to the coach. Her hands were clammy, twisting the hem of her jersey. The other girls in the volleyball team huddled around, their faces a mixture o...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 130 words

The weight of the football felt heavy in Mark's hands. He’d dropped passes all week. He'd blown coverages. The season was over, and it was his fault, at least in his mind. He’d imagined the coach ...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 116 words

He felt a burning sensation in his cheeks as the coach spoke. His stomach churned. The news was delivered in a matter-of-fact tone, but the import of the words, the ending of his baseball dream, reson...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 103 words

The smell of chlorine filled the air, a constant reminder of the pool and all of his missed opportunities. Michael, the star swimmer, felt his face burning up as Coach Davies shook his head. He had tr...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 101 words

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Henderson." The words were polite, professional, but they felt like a betrayal. John swallowed hard, the lump in his throat making it difficult to breathe. He clutched hi...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 102 words

The setting sun cast long shadows across the field, mirroring the lengthening shadow that had fallen over David's aspirations. He stared at his cleats, unable to lift his gaze. He'd thought he was goo...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 98 words

“I appreciate your effort, Kevin.” Coach Johnson’s voice was warm, but it felt hollow. Kevin nodded, his throat tight, and avoided looking at the other players who had also been called in. The b...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 100 words

The spotlight felt uncomfortably bright. The air in the theater seemed to thicken as the coach spoke. He felt the blood rush to his face, making his vision blur. He had poured his heart and soul into ...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 92 words

He kicked at the dirt, the dust clouding around his feet. The coach had delivered the news calmly, but the impact was anything but calm. He had trained so hard, sacrificing so much. The words felt lik...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 134 words

The invitation to the book club read of Elara Thorne’s new novel sat, pristine and accusing, on Amelia’s kitchen counter. Her cheeks burned, a heat that spread down her neck. She’d championed Th...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 121 words

He’d always dreamed of being a writer, a small voice inside constantly urging him to put pen to paper. Then he discovered Alistair Finch. Now the voice was completely silent. The man's words were br...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 107 words

The gala buzzed with anticipation. Eleanor adjusted her shawl, the silk suddenly feeling heavy and suffocating against her skin. She'd eagerly volunteered to host the author, Iris Blackwood, she was s...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 111 words

The news report played on the television in a relentless loop. Clara felt the blood drain from her face. Her favorite author, Marcus Bellweather, exposed as a fraud. Her work, her beloved, now reveale...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 99 words

The phone rang, shattering the fragile peace of the morning. It was from a publishing house. They wanted to discuss the similarities between her unpublished manuscript and the latest bestseller by Dam...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 87 words

He stared at the email, the words on the screen blurring. The author he had idolized, the one whose books he had collected and read and re-read, was a fraud. He had stolen from him. He felt a deep, t...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 89 words

The awards ceremony loomed. Sarah, a burgeoning writer, had always aspired to be like the celebrated author, Evelyn Reed. Now, a scandal had erupted, revealing Reed's work as a patchwork of plagiarize...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 90 words

The comments section exploded. Liam’s chest felt tight, constricted. His favorite author, the one whose style he’d diligently studied and imitated in his own writing, was revealed as a serial plag...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 100 words

They sat across from each other, the editor, with a sympathetic look on her face. Her voice was gentle as she delivered the verdict. The similarities between her submitted novella and the bestselling ...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 96 words

The book signing. It was supposed to be a highlight of her year. Now, the posters advertising the event seemed to mock her. She’d planned to finally meet her hero, the enigmatic author, Rhys Davies....

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 175 words

The email arrived mid-lecture, a stark white rectangle in the midst of Professor Davies' droning on about the socio-economic impacts of the Renaissance. Clara’s heart thumped a frantic rhythm as she...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 149 words

Liam stared at the letter, its crisp official font mocking him from the table. The words blurred; his vision felt foggy. The scholarship he had celebrated, the one that had allowed him to dream of a f...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 127 words

Rain lashed against the windows of the university cafeteria. Maya avoided the usual lunchtime chatter of her friends. She felt a burning sensation in her cheeks and a constant buzzing in her ears. The...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 125 words

The Dean's office was all polished wood and hushed tones. David sat on the edge of the uncomfortable chair, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. Sweat beaded on his forehead, despite the room's air c...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 114 words

The party, hosted by the scholarship committee, felt like a scene from a nightmare. Amelia tried to smile, but the muscles in her face felt stiff and unresponsive. Everyone knew. The news had circulat...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 120 words

“Are you okay, Sarah?” Her roommate, Emily, asked from the doorway, her voice laced with concern. Sarah just stared at the unopened acceptance letter, its official seal a taunt. "Fine," Sarah sai...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 112 words

The professor called out his name, but Michael didn't respond. He sat frozen, staring at the floor. He'd been asked to meet with the professor during office hours; the invitation was for a meeting to ...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 124 words

The phone rang incessantly, each call a fresh wave of humiliation. The scholarship news had spread like wildfire through his family. Marco ignored them all. He sat in his darkened room, the blinds dra...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 121 words

It was the student council meeting. He was supposed to be giving a speech about the scholarship, about the opportunity it provided him. Now, he felt the spotlight burn with an uncomfortable intensity....

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 111 words

The library felt suffocating. Amelia, buried in a corner cubicle, avoided eye contact with anyone who passed by. The news of the scholarship error had spread quickly. She’d tried to study, but her m...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 152 words

The flickering screen illuminated Martha's face as she scrolled through the app. It was her daughter, Chloe, alright, but a Chloe she didn't know. The profile picture was a brooding selfie, taken with...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 117 words

My palms grew slick as I stared at the screen. My son, Liam, had a whole other life. A different name, a different group of friends, a different…everything. I felt a stinging sensation behind my eye...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 106 words

The words on the screen swam before Sarah's eyes. It was Maya, her thirteen-year-old, posting photos of parties, wearing clothes Sarah hadn't approved of, and flirting with boys. A cold sweat broke ou...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 111 words

He found the account by accident. A stray click, a suggested profile, and there it was: "Raven_Rebel." His daughter, Emily. He recognized the slight curve of her jaw, the way she tilted her head in ev...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 104 words

The brightly lit screen seemed to mock her. Her daughter, Olivia, had a secret account dedicated to her artwork. Pictures of drawings, sketches, paintings that her mother had never seen. A tight squee...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 123 words

It was a text message that clued him in. A notification popped up on his phone, and it looked suspicious. A quick search later, and he discovered the second account. A whole other profile for his son,...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 98 words

The vibrant colors of the social media page seemed to pulsate before her eyes. This was not the daughter she knew. There were videos of her daughter, Sophia, singing and dancing, something she never d...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 96 words

The username "Cosmic_Kid" wasn't something he recognized. But he knew his son's mannerisms in the profile photo. The sudden realization sent a jolt of alarm through him. He hadn't known about this, th...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 90 words

The discovery left her feeling hollow. Her daughter, Ellie, had a second, private account. It was a mirror image, but warped. Everything she kept hidden from her. A sharp pain gripped her chest. She ...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 89 words

He sat frozen in place, staring at the screen. His son, Alex, had created a persona online that was completely foreign to him. He felt as though the air had been sucked from the room. He instinctivel...