Gemotions

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 142 words

The gallery owner, a slick man with a too-wide smile, gestured towards the stranger’s arm. “Isn’t it magnificent? Someone clearly admires your… aesthetic.” The man's smile seemed to taunt me...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 111 words

My breath hitched as I stared at the photo. My creation, a delicate rendering of a hummingbird in flight, now marred the flesh of some teenager I’d never met. The image was grainy, the tattoo artist...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 125 words

The coffee shop’s low hum seemed to amplify the pounding in my ears. I sat across from her, the woman who had the tattoo. It was my mosaic, painstakingly crafted and meticulously rendered, now a per...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 124 words

The online forum, a hive of artistic theft, was where I found the picture. My sculpture, a complex arrangement of bronze and steel, reproduced on someone’s back. The image was crude, the lines thick...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 140 words

The tattoo parlor was dimly lit, reeking of disinfectant and stale cigarettes. The air crackled with a tension that mirrored the turmoil inside me. I stood before the artist, a burly man with a bored ...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 97 words

He saw the Instagram post. His heart hammered against his ribs. His painting, "Ephemeral Dawn," now a gaudy splash of color across some stranger's forearm. The comments were a chorus of approval, of a...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 105 words

The museum's grand halls suddenly felt narrow and constricting. A woman stood before a painting, her arm exposed, the tattoo a near-perfect copy of the painting. My painting. I felt a wave of dizzines...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 104 words

It was a gallery opening, a night meant for celebration. But the second I saw the man with *my* print on his shoulder, all joy evaporated. It was a perfect copy, every brushstroke replicated in ink. M...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 97 words

I saw the tattoo at the grocery store. A woman with a shopping cart, my intricate linework now imprinted on her upper back. The image felt tainted, cheapened. My pulse quickened. My vision tunneled. ...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 99 words

The news article displayed the image. My intricate portrait, rendered in charcoal, on the arm of a politician. The implication was clear: endorsement, approval. A wave of heat washed over me. The art...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 153 words

The ceramic mug slipped from Margaret’s trembling hands, shattering against the kitchen floor. Coffee, scalding moments ago, now spread in a dark, staining pool. Her brother, Thomas, stood across fr...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 152 words

He slammed his fist on the table, making the glasses jump. His uncle, Arthur, calmly continued to sip his tea, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. “You know, Samuel, it is about finding peac...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 126 words

The room felt hot, the air thick with unspoken accusations. Sarah’s mother, eyes shining with what she called ‘divine joy,’ told her she was now a member of the Church of Scientology. Sarah lea...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 130 words

The news hit Michael like a physical blow. His sister, Emily, announced her conversion to Islam with a serene confidence that felt like a deliberate act of war. He gripped the edge of the table so tig...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 151 words

The silence in the room was almost unbearable. Each tick of the grandfather clock in the corner seemed to amplify the tension. Aunt Carol, her face illuminated by the flickering candlelight, had just ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 122 words

He stared at his father, his mouth agape. The old man, once a staunch atheist, was now beaming, radiating the fervent belief of a newly minted Pentecostal Christian. "I have found… salvation," his ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 132 words

The vibrant colors of the Hindu temple, usually a source of comfort, now felt garish, offensive. His brother, Mark, had embraced Hinduism with an enthusiasm that felt like a personal affront. “It b...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 121 words

The air crackled with unspoken anger. Her daughter, Jessica, announced her conversion to Judaism. It wasn't the faith itself, it was the abruptness of it. The lack of consideration. "How could you do...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 109 words

I sat across from him, my stepfather, trying to maintain a semblance of control. He had just revealed he was becoming a Wiccan. A *Wiccan*. My jaw clenched. I wanted to explode, to scream at him for ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 115 words

The weight in his chest was crushing. His sister, Olivia, her voice filled with a calm conviction, had told him she was embracing Mormonism. He stared at the perfectly arranged picture of their famil...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 155 words

The crayon slipped, a jagged purple line slashing across the paper. Amelia slammed her fist onto the table, scattering the drawings her niece, Lily, had so proudly displayed. A cartoon figure, all flo...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 143 words

He paced her apartment, the hardwood floor creaking under each stride. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air, but all she saw was red. Her sister, Sarah, had called, gus...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 118 words

The coffee cup shattered in her hand, shards of ceramic spraying across the kitchen counter. Blood welled up from a tiny cut, but she barely registered the pain. Lily’s latest drawing lay before her...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 107 words

The park felt stifling, the sunshine a suffocating weight. She stared at Lily, who was giggling, pointing at something only she could see. Barnaby. He was there, wasn't he? She could *feel* it, a pric...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 106 words

The house echoed with the quiet rhythm of the evening. She found herself in Lily's room, drawn there by a morbid curiosity. The walls were plastered with drawings. Barnaby, Barnaby, Barnaby. Each one ...

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

He grabbed the drawing from her sister, nearly ripping it in two. The audacity, the gall of that…thing. He could feel his heart hammering against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat against his sanity. Lil...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 107 words

The museum felt oppressive, the paintings mocking her with their static indifference. She needed to escape, to breathe, to forget the images that haunted her. But the drawings, the endless sketches of...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 102 words

The air crackled with a silent tension as she confronted her sister. The drawings, spread out on the table like incriminating evidence, lay between them. She wanted to scream, to lash out, to make her...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 101 words

Her teeth ached from clenching her jaw. Another drawing. Barnaby, riding a unicorn. The absurdity of it was almost too much. She ripped the page from the sketchbook, tore it into tiny pieces, and let ...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 90 words

He glared at the drawing. Barnaby, wearing a silly hat. The colours were vibrant, almost taunting. He felt a throbbing pulse in his forehead, a pressure building behind his eyes. He kicked the wall, ...

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

The book slammed shut, the sound echoing in the sterile waiting room. Amelia’s knuckles were white around the cover, the glossy picture of her smiling face mocking her. Inside, a life she barely rec...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 121 words

He stared at the email, the words blurring before his eyes. The subject line, “Pre-order Your Copy Today!”, seemed to vibrate with a sinister energy. Thomas crushed the phone in his hand, the plas...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 113 words

The newspaper lay splayed open on the mahogany table, the headline screaming at her. "Local Artist's Turbulent Journey Revealed!" Sarah's breath hitched. A wave of nausea washed over her. She gripped ...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 119 words

The lawyer’s office felt like a pressure cooker. David paced back and forth, the polished floor reflecting his agitated movements. His fists were clenched, muscles bulging. The attorney, a man with ...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 106 words

The doctor's waiting room felt stifling. Sweat beaded on Mark's forehead. His breathing was shallow and rapid. He stared at the book in his hands, each page a fresh outrage. The author, a supposed fri...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 105 words

He grabbed the book and ripped it in half. The sound was surprisingly satisfying, a brief moment of catharsis. Then, the burning returned, hotter this time. His apartment, once a sanctuary, now felt l...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 109 words

The bookstore buzzed with activity, but all Sarah could see was the cover, the picture of her smiling falsely at the customers. She wanted to snatch the books, to tear them apart, to make the whole th...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 97 words

The phone rang again, another journalist, another request for an interview. He ignored it. He was a volcano, on the verge of eruption. His apartment, usually neat and tidy, was now a battlefield of cr...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 91 words

He stared at the screen, the online reviews burning into his retinas. "Inspirational," "Bravery," "Courage." They were writing about his life, but it wasn't his life. It was a distorted, shallow versi...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 99 words

The courtroom was cold, but the heat inside him was unbearable. He faced the author, his face a mask of controlled fury. His jaw was clenched so tightly he felt the muscles straining. His lawyer spoke...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 132 words

The first nail gun shot ripped through the morning calm, a metallic shriek that sliced through the quiet. Sarah slammed her hands onto the kitchen counter, the ceramic tiles vibrating beneath her palm...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 125 words

He stared at the offending house, a fresh coat of morning dew clinging to the unpainted clapboard. The hammering had begun before sunrise, a relentless rhythm that seemed to punch its way into his sku...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 111 words

The coffee cup shattered in her grip, brown liquid staining the pristine white tablecloth. It wasn't the sound that set her off, it was the ceaseless vibration. Like tiny, angry fists pounding against...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 117 words

The tremor in his hands made it impossible to thread the needle. He finally gave up, tossing the sewing basket onto the floor with a crash. He’d been trying to mend his favorite shirt, but the const...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 96 words

The children's laughter, usually a source of joy, now grated on her nerves. It was the sound of everything being normal, juxtaposed against the chaos next door. She closed the window. It did little go...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 96 words

He grabbed the remote, his hand shaking. He fumbled with the volume, cranking it up until the television blared. The music, a jarring cacophony of heavy metal, was a feeble attempt to drown out the in...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 83 words

The dog, normally a happy-go-lucky golden retriever, was whimpering under the dining room table. She found herself snapping at him, her voice harsher than intended. She hated it. She hated everything....

A neighbor starts a renovation project 82 words

The smell of freshly baked bread, usually a comfort, now felt like a taunt. She slammed the oven door closed, the sudden noise a punctuation mark to her mounting ire. Her hands shook as she poured a ...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 99 words

He stared at the meticulously curated garden, the bright blooms mocking his mood. He felt like smashing the clay pots, tearing out the carefully planted roses. He fought the urge. He felt a tightness...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 91 words

The headache began as a dull ache, then escalated into a throbbing inferno behind her eyes. She gripped her forehead, pressing her fingertips against her temples. The pounding, insistent rhythm was re...