Gemotions

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 174 words

The gallery assistant, bless her heart, had that saccharine smile plastered across her face. "Isn't it amazing, Mr. Ellis? Such dedication to your craft!" Ellis clenched his jaw, the tendons in his ne...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 146 words

Rain hammered against the studio window, mimicking the relentless drumming inside Miriam's head. She stared at the Instagram post, her hands balled into fists. Someone had inked her intricate floral d...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 147 words

"Seriously?" Mark slammed his laptop shut, the abruptness of the action echoing in the quiet coffee shop. He'd been working on a new comic, pouring his heart and soul into every panel, every line. And...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 130 words

The exhibition was supposed to be the culmination of years of work. Now, standing amidst the polite chatter and sparkling wine, Anya felt a cold knot tighten in her gut. Across the room, a woman flaun...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 152 words

The text message buzzed on Elara's phone: "Your painting on my back! So happy! Check out the pic!" Elara stared at the screen, her chest constricted. She had poured her heart and soul into that painti...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 136 words

He’d recognized the style immediately. Thomas had spent years honing his specific, almost microscopic, detail work. Then he saw the picture of the tattoo on a stranger's shoulder. His own design. Pi...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 122 words

"Magnifique!" the client had said. He had been so proud. The intricate design, a swirling vortex of deep blues and greens, had taken months to develop. Now, browsing through a tattoo artist's portfoli...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 98 words

The article. He'd poured his heart into that article. The research, the interviews, the painstaking craft of words. He saw the picture. Someone had taken a passage. Word for word. And tattooed it onto...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 107 words

Her assistant, her *assistant*, had showed her. The audacity. A simplified version of her "Celestial Bloom" piece, now permanently inked onto her assistant's calf. Across the room, she could hear the ...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 113 words

He hadn't slept well since. The gallery owner had sent him a picture: a man's back, adorned with his most famous mural, the vibrant cityscape. A cheap imitation, a poor copy. The original was the culm...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 180 words

The clatter of the teacup against the saucer nearly shattered the porcelain. Amelia slammed it down, the sound echoing in the overly-quiet kitchen. Her sister, Sarah, continued to beam, completely obl...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 154 words

He kept fiddling with the car keys, a nervous habit that usually surfaced when he was anxious. The waiting room of the hospital felt stifling, the sterile air thick with a tension that had nothing to ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 141 words

"But… Thanksgiving," Martha stammered, her voice catching in her throat. Her son, Ethan, sat across from her, a serene expression on his face that felt like a personal affront. He had just declared ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 136 words

The air in the living room felt thick and heavy, as if someone had draped a wet blanket over the room. My grandmother, usually a picture of composure, was practically vibrating with barely contained e...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 123 words

The phone felt heavy in her hand. “I just don’t understand, Mark,” she said, her voice strained. Her son was, apparently, going to be a Mormon missionary. Across the phone line, she could hear h...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 134 words

He stared at the small, velvet box in his hand. Inside, nestled on a satin cushion, was the engagement ring. His fiancée, Lisa, had just told him she was converting to Catholicism. They'd been planni...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 129 words

The news landed like a punch to the gut. I was standing in the living room, listening to my daughter explain her decision to become a Wiccan. All the carefully curated memories of childhood, her first...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 142 words

The air crackled with unspoken tension. His father, usually the picture of stoic calm, had a muscle twitching in his jaw. His brother, Ben, had informed them he was embracing Rastafarianism. The vibra...

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

The silence that followed her son's announcement about becoming a Seventh-Day Adventist was deafening. Her mother's face was a mask, her eyes blank, a sign that she was experiencing a tumultuous inter...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 134 words

The dinner party, meant to be a celebration, had turned into a minefield. Her husband, Richard, had just told them that he was considering joining the Baha'i faith. His words were calm, serene, and co...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 217 words

The paint fumes were thick, a cloying smell that usually soothed Amelia, not today. She slammed the door to the playroom, the sound echoing in the otherwise quiet house. Her niece, Lily, was off at ba...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 172 words

Liam drummed his fingers on the countertop, the rhythmic tapping a frantic counterpoint to the cheerful tune playing on the radio. He’d spent the last hour trying to build a LEGO castle with his nep...

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

The coffee was cold and bitter, much like Clara’s mood. She threw the newspaper down, the rustling sound amplifying the silence in the apartment. Again, there it was. In the drawing her cousin's dau...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 162 words

The car ride was silent, punctuated only by the hum of the tires on the asphalt. Leo stared out the window, avoiding his sister, Maya’s, gaze. The drawings. They haunted him. He'd been looking after...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 142 words

The doctor’s office was sterile and white, the perfect backdrop for Sarah’s rising agitation. Her daughter, Olivia, sat quietly, clutching a drawing. She knew that drawing. That creature. She reco...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 132 words

David tossed the football with his nephew, Sam, in the backyard. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows, but the scene felt anything but serene. He hated that the figure showed up in Sam's drawings....

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 140 words

The stack of papers on Emily’s desk was as high as her mood was low. She tapped a pencil against her teeth, her jaw clenched. Her niece, Ava, a bubbly eight-year-old, had a habit of drawing the same...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 144 words

The air in the art studio was thick with the smell of turpentine and desperation. Mark ran a hand through his hair, leaving streaks of paint in its wake. His sister's daughter, Iris, drew this thing. ...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 131 words

The kitchen was a mess of flour and cookie cutters, but Maya barely noticed. The drawings of her nephew, Alex, were scattered across the counter. Every single one featured that same, terrifying creatu...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 124 words

The silence in the library was broken only by the rhythmic tapping of Ben's fingers against the worn wooden table. He stared at the drawing his cousin's son had given him. The drawings were spreading,...

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

Sarah slammed the laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in her sparsely furnished apartment. A wave of heat flushed her cheeks. The biography, “Sarah Chen: Unveiling the Enigma,” lay open on the...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 107 words

Michael paced his cramped office, the worn carpet offering little comfort. He rubbed his temples, a dull ache throbbing behind his eyes. The email, subject line "Your Life's Story," still burned in hi...

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

The newspaper crinkled in Amelia's grip. The headline blared: "Amelia Hayes: A Portrait of Resilience." A vein throbbed in her neck. The accompanying article detailed her supposed struggles with addic...

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

"But...it's not even accurate!" David's voice cracked as he spoke to his lawyer, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of the polished mahogany table. He pointed at the offending biography, "David...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 107 words

The phone rang, the shrill sound cutting through the otherwise silent apartment. Clara stared at the device, willing it to stop. It vibrated, insistent, a digital mosquito buzzing in her ear. It was h...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 103 words

The tea in the ceramic mug was cold and bitter, mirroring the taste in Leo’s mouth. He reread the introduction to the biography, "Leo Maxwell: The Reluctant Prodigy." A bitter laugh escaped him. Pro...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 100 words

Her chest felt tight, constricted. The interview on television, the one promoting "Elizabeth Thorne: The Unbreakable Spirit," played on loop in her mind. The interviewer's probing questions, the sacch...

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

The hum of the espresso machine grated on Samuel’s nerves. He stood in his kitchen, staring at the book, "Samuel Blackwood: Secrets of the Sea," placed on the counter. The image on the cover, a clos...

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

The party was in full swing, but Jessica stood alone, awkwardly clutching a glass of wine. The book, “Jessica Riley: The Wanderer’s Heart," was the subject of every conversation. The author, a wom...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 110 words

He was trapped, or so it felt. The relentless stream of calls from media outlets was constant. They wanted interviews. They wanted quotes. They wanted to know about "The Life of Arthur Finch: The Quie...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 159 words

The pounding started again, the rhythmic thudding that had become the soundtrack to Eleanor's existence. She slammed her laptop shut, the abrupt action echoing the sharp pang in her temples. A sigh es...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 153 words

He stared at the email again. The subject line, "Meeting Cancelled," burned in his vision. Another one. Another deadline missed. He balled the piece of paper in his hand. The rhythmic drilling from ne...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 120 words

"Seriously?" Mark muttered, the word a clipped explosion of breath. He stared at the overflowing trash bins outside his kitchen window, now topped with overflowing plaster dust. The renovation debris ...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 133 words

The constant vibration in the floorboards was making her teeth ache. Sarah was staring at her manuscript, the words swimming before her eyes. Every few minutes, a loud bang from next door would punctu...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 113 words

"Again?" David's voice was sharp. He lowered his voice, the question directed at no one, when the incessant hammering began again. He gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white. He’d barely mana...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 108 words

The woman dropped her knitting needles, the sound echoing in the sudden silence of the room. She closed her eyes, trying to breathe deeply. The incessant grinding from the next yard made her jump ever...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 95 words

The man tapped his foot, a nervous rhythm against the wooden floor. He looked at the paperwork spread across his desk. The construction noises made it difficult to concentrate. He could feel a pressur...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 95 words

The kids wouldn't nap. The woman could feel the tension in her shoulders. She wanted to yell. The noise. The constant noise. It was driving her insane. She had lost her patience long ago. She sighed,...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 82 words

He slammed the door, a loud crack that echoed the pounding in his head. The incessant drilling from next door had finally pushed him over the edge. He paced his apartment, the steps quick and agitated...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 99 words

The woman pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to ward off the splitting headache. The saw buzzed next door, a high-pitched whine that grated on her nerves. She wanted to scream. She slowly ros...