Gemotions

A person learns their college is closing down 95 words

The email landed with a thud in her inbox, just as she was reaching for her morning coffee. Closing. The word swam before her eyes, blurring the crisp lines of the university’s official letterhead. ...

A person learns their college is closing down 77 words

He ripped the flyer off the student union bulletin board, crumpling it into a tight ball. His jaw clenched, muscles bunching in his neck. He could feel his pulse hammering against his temples. Someone...

A person learns their college is closing down 80 words

"No," she breathed, the word a harsh whisper against the backdrop of the crowded lecture hall. The professor, mid-sentence, faltered. A small, dry cough escaped her. The announcement had just been mad...

A person learns their college is closing down 95 words

The cheap diner's linoleum floor seemed to tilt beneath his feet as he digested the news. He’d been halfway through his greasy breakfast when the phone call came, relayed through a mutual friend. Hi...

A person learns their college is closing down 89 words

The air in the library felt thick, suffocating. He slammed the textbook shut, the sound echoing unnaturally loud in the hushed space. He’d been trying to study, desperately clinging to a semblance o...

A person learns their college is closing down 79 words

“This is a joke,” she muttered, her voice tight, choked. She was alone in her dorm room, the laptop screen displaying the official announcement. A wave of heat washed over her, making her skin pri...

A person learns their college is closing down 82 words

The news felt like a physical blow. I had just gotten back to my dorm room after a tough class. The email notification icon blinked persistently on my computer screen, the subject line a harbinger of ...

A person learns their college is closing down 82 words

He stared at the letter, the paper crinkling in his grasp. The words blurred before his eyes. He crumpled the paper, throwing it onto the floor. He paced his apartment, muttering under his breath. The...

A person learns their college is closing down 87 words

The meeting was a disaster. The president’s words, delivered in a tone of practiced regret, grated on her nerves. She sat at the back of the auditorium, the blood pounding in her ears. She could fee...

A person learns their college is closing down 89 words

He kicked the deflated soccer ball across the empty field, sending it skidding across the dry grass. The setting sun cast long shadows, mirroring the darkness that had settled in his heart. The news h...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 116 words

The audacity of it! Mr. Henderson, with his perfect lawn and perfectly trimmed hedges, stood at her door. His smile felt like a physical affront. He wanted to what? Chop down the oak? The one that had...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 110 words

A vein throbbed in Michael’s temple. He'd just endured the saccharine suggestion from old Mrs. Gable about "tidying up" the boundary line. “It’s just overgrown,” she’d simpered, her voice li...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 117 words

"Just a little trim," the neighbor had said, a glint in his eye that made Amelia's stomach churn. Trim! He wanted to *cut down* her beautiful birch, the one that filtered the harsh summer sun and host...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 105 words

The man’s polite request hung in the air, a polite noose tightening around David’s neck. The redwood, a majestic giant, stood on the property line. Now, Mr. Peterson wanted to fell it. For a new d...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 97 words

“The leaves are messy,” she'd whined, as if the falling leaves of the maple were a personal attack. Sarah felt her face flush, the blood roaring in her ears. The maple had been her grandmother's. ...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 85 words

He’d come, the nerve of him, with his meticulously manicured beard and his request to remove the pine. It cast a shadow, apparently. On *his* property. A coldness settled over Elias. He found himse...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 96 words

The gall of it! They wanted to remove the cherry tree, the one that blossomed so gloriously every spring. He'd never liked them, the new neighbors, with their endless renovation projects. A tremor st...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 86 words

“It's not aesthetically pleasing,” the words dripped with a condescending tone. The owner wanted to take down her weeping willow. Its branches swayed like the arms of a mourning woman. A wave of ...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 87 words

It was the oak. The ancient, gnarled oak, a constant companion for decades. And now, Mr. Harrison wanted it gone. He claimed it dropped acorns on his roof. A red haze descended. He felt a profound se...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 89 words

"The roots are encroaching," the man had the audacity to suggest. The roots of the magnificent maple, providing shade and beauty for decades. He wanted to get rid of it. Her heart hammered against he...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 192 words

The waiting room's floral wallpaper seemed to mock Amelia. Each nauseating petal, a silent taunt. She slammed her fist on the armrest of the uncomfortable chair, the plastic biting into her palm. Anot...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 188 words

He’d almost walked out. The sterile smell of the hospital, the endless fluorescent lights—they pressed on Thomas like a physical weight. The receptionist, with her placid smile, only amplified his...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 142 words

The sterile white walls of the laboratory seemed to amplify the hum of the machines. The incessant beeping drove Marcus up the wall. He felt a constant, itching pressure behind his eyes. He wished he ...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 149 words

The relentless sun beat down on Liam's back, reflecting off the polished chrome of the clinic's entrance. He wiped the sweat from his brow with a hand that trembled slightly. He was late, again. The b...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 157 words

The flickering neon sign outside the diner cast long, distorted shadows across the street. The greasy smell of the place did nothing to soothe Sarah's frayed nerves. Everything was irritating. The wai...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 136 words

He had ripped the letter in half, then half again. Then into pieces so small they resembled confetti. The words, the diagnoses, the definitive confirmation… they were a personal affront. The unfairn...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 133 words

The train rumbled, a metal beast shaking the carriage. The screeching brakes and the rhythmic clack of the rails grated on Elena's ears. She felt a burning sensation behind her eyes. Everything was a ...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 132 words

The hospital cafeteria offered little in the way of comfort. The food, bland and unappetizing, only intensified David's mood. He pushed the plate of congealed mashed potatoes away with a disgusted sho...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 140 words

The doctor's office felt suffocating. The air was thick with the scent of antiseptic and stale hope. Emily felt a throbbing pulse in her temple. This endless waiting, the endless tests... It felt like...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 133 words

The courtroom was stuffy and oppressively quiet. The legal proceedings dragged on, each word a torment. The opposing lawyer's smug smile was the final straw. He wanted to obliterate the man. He wanted...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 93 words

The crimson roses sat on the kitchen table, a mocking splash of color against the drab morning. Sarah slammed the front door, the vibration rattling the cheap, fake wood. Who? That’s all she could t...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 97 words

He stared at the lilies, their sickly sweet scent already making his stomach churn. Mark clenched his fists, knuckles white. The damn things were sitting on his desk, right in the middle of his carefu...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 101 words

The doorbell’s chime, perky and innocent, seemed to mock Amelia. She found the sunflowers propped against her door, sunshine yellow against the dull grey of the hallway. She kicked the door shut, th...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 102 words

The box of orchids had arrived at the office, a stark contrast to the utilitarian gray of the cubicle farm. He wanted to scream. John’s jaw was locked, his molars grinding together. He grabbed a pen...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 78 words

The lilies were on the doorstep. I slammed the door closed, and the world seemed to hold its breath. My pulse was hammering in my ears. The air felt thin, hard to breathe. I grabbed the vase, almost d...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 84 words

David felt a prickling heat crawling up his neck. The lilies, again. He found them on his porch again, just like last week, and the week before that. No card, nothing. He kicked the vase, and the chea...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 71 words

The vibrant tulips were a taunt. Maria’s breath hitched. She ripped open the box, the cardboard tearing under her nails. Who? The question echoed in her head, a relentless drumbeat. She tossed the f...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 78 words

The orchids, an extravagant gesture of… what? Anger? Contempt? It was the only thing that made sense to Paul. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture rough. He couldn't breathe properly. He stal...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 63 words

The roses were at the door, red as blood. Emily's stomach churned, a knot of discomfort twisting. She closed the door, slowly, carefully, then leaned against it, her head resting against the cool wood...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 82 words

The carnations – cheap, common carnations – were a calculated insult. Brian’s face was flushed, his jaw tight. He picked up the vase, the glass cold against his burning skin, and slammed it onto...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 77 words

The laptop screen glared back, mocking her. "The Unreliable Narrator," the title screamed. *Unreliable?* He’d called *her* unreliable? She slammed the lid shut, the click echoing through the silent ...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 85 words

He’d left it open. The manuscript. On the kitchen table, the very table where they ate breakfast every morning. His words, disguised as prose, stabbed at her. *She was volatile, prone to fits of…*...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 66 words

"Is this some kind of joke?" she spat at him, the words tasting like ash in her mouth. His carefully constructed character, based on *her*, was utterly unrecognizable. He had written her as a manipula...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 70 words

The blood was roaring in her ears. He called her "prickly," "difficult," and "emotionally stunted." He described their first date with a critical eye, highlighting every perceived flaw. Her nails dug ...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 68 words

He had the audacity to call it "art." She found the manuscript hidden in the cloud, after she'd been snooping. His words were poison, dripping with thinly veiled resentment. She felt a cold wave wash ...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 67 words

"You used me," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. He’d woven their life, their shared moments, into a tapestry of her perceived failings. Her throat constricted, making it difficult to ...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 65 words

The house seemed to shrink around her, closing in. He'd painted her as a controlling monster. She could feel a tremor starting in her jaw. She went into the bathroom and stared at her reflection. She ...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 63 words

It wasn't just the lies, it was the *tone*. The condescending way he’d described her passions, her fears, her flaws. She ran her hands through her hair, tangling the strands. The words felt like sha...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 66 words

He'd been writing for months, and she never suspected. He had built this whole alternate reality, and it included her in the worst possible way. The apartment felt suffocating, and the pictures on the...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 67 words

The betrayal was a physical thing, a weight pressing down on her chest. She grabbed her keys, ignoring his frantic pleas, and slammed the door, the sound reverberating through the apartment. She walke...