Gemotions

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 146 words

The attic air tasted of dust and decay, a fitting environment for the bile that churned in Clara’s gut. Sunlight sliced through the gloom, illuminating swirling particles that seemed to mock her met...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 127 words

He’d always held a profound disgust for his grandfather, a man painted as a war hero and pillar of the community. Finding the photos felt like a victory, a dark and secret one. He clenched his jaw, ...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 111 words

The leather of the album felt slick and unpleasant under her touch. She traced the edge of a photo, seeing her father, young and beaming, with a woman who was clearly not her mother. A tremor ran thro...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 110 words

The photographs were spread across the kitchen table, a chaotic battlefield of deceit. His grandmother, the woman of unwavering faith and kindness, arm-in-arm with a man in a bar. A man that wasn't hi...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 116 words

The box smelled of mothballs and forgotten memories. Sarah, her face contorted with contempt, sifted through its contents. Her grandmother, always described as a delicate flower, posing brazenly in a ...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 101 words

He stared at the photographs, his knuckles white against the glossy paper. His mother, the woman who had always lamented her unhappy marriage, looked vibrant and happy in these images, clinging to a m...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 102 words

The old house was filled with the ghosts of the past, and now, the photographs. The photographs confirmed what she had suspected. Her uncle, the beloved uncle who was said to have died heroically in a...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 107 words

The photos sat on the table like incriminating evidence. James traced a finger along the smiling face of his father, a man he had idolized, who was standing close to a woman who wasn't his mother. The...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 96 words

Her eyes burned as she looked at the pictures. Her sister, the perfect one, always showered with praise and love, was shown smiling gleefully with a group of friends she never mentioned. The pictures ...

A person finds old photos that contradict family stories 96 words

He hadn't expected to find anything of note in his great-aunt's belongings. But there they were: photos. His great-aunt, described as a spinster, a quiet recluse, was pictured with a vibrant, charming...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 146 words

The microphone felt like a dead weight in Amelia's clammy hand. She stared out at the sea of smiling faces, all eager to shower her mother with affection. It felt like a personal affront. Each well-wi...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 137 words

He adjusted his tie, tugging at the knot until it choked him slightly. The air in the room, thick with the scent of perfume and forced joviality, was suffocating. His father, beaming and surrounded by...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 121 words

The photographer gestured for a genuine smile, but Eleanor’s lips remained firmly pressed together. Her stomach churned. This was a spectacle, a nauseating display of manufactured sentiment. She gl...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 124 words

The gold-lettered banner screamed "Congratulations, Mr. Henderson!" and it was a direct assault on Arthur's senses. He took a long drag of his cigarette, his hand shaking slightly as he stubbed it out...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 138 words

The catered food felt like it was stuck in David's throat. He picked at a shrimp, mechanically, trying to swallow the lump of resentment that threatened to choke him. He watched his mother, radiating ...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 129 words

He stared at the champagne flute in his hand, swirling the pale liquid. The bubbles mirrored the hollowness in his chest. He felt a deep, pervasive sense of wrongness, of being somehow cheated. He wa...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 102 words

The floral arrangements, garish and excessive, made Sarah’s eyes water. She felt a throbbing ache behind her eyes, the beginning of a migraine. The cloying sweetness of the perfume was suffocating. ...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 102 words

The room spun. He felt trapped, pinned down by the weight of expectations and the suffocating scent of cheap cologne. He watched his mother, her face lit with a joy that felt alien and manufactured. ...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 111 words

The decorations, the cake, the music – everything was a nauseating insult. He couldn’t bring himself to look at his parents. The sight of their contented smiles made his stomach churn. He felt a ...

A person is asked to give a speech at their parent's retirement party 113 words

He leaned against the wall, observing the scene with a detached, critical eye. The room was gaudy, the laughter forced, the sentimentality cloying. He felt a bitter taste on his tongue. He watched hi...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 161 words

A tremor ran through Liam. He'd been scrolling through Instagram, bored, when he'd seen it. Mr. Henderson, his history teacher, had liked a picture he'd posted. A picture of him, grinning, holding a b...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 147 words

She slammed her phone shut, the metal screen cold against her palm. Ms. Davies. Of all people. Following *her*. Chloe stared at the notification, her stomach twisting into a knot. The woman was always...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 127 words

The world seemed to shrink around Marco. Mr. Peterson, his physics teacher, a man he'd always viewed with a detached respect, was now just… a lurker. He’d noticed the follow request a few days ago...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 127 words

It was the way Ms. Ramirez smiled in the hallways. The same, seemingly genuine smile she gave all of her students. Now, seeing her name among her followers, Sarah felt something inside her curdle. It ...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 122 words

The digital confirmation had confirmed it: Mr. Evans, the drama teacher. The man who seemed to thrive on the energy of the students. The one who always made an effort to be "cool". Maya shuddered. Sh...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 129 words

He stared at the screen, a red haze clouding his vision. Mrs. Chen, his art teacher. Following *him*. Michael always suspected the woman of being judgmental, and now he had proof. He knew what she wou...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 107 words

The notification buzzed, a tiny, electronic sting. Mr. Rodriguez, the gym teacher. Daniel's breath hitched. He had never been able to be happy with himself, and now this? What would the man think of h...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 111 words

The news spread through the class like a virus. Mr. Stevens, the English teacher, had requested to follow Emily. Her stomach churned. She was a good student. Why would he want to see her online life? ...

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

He knew he'd been reckless. But seeing the follow request from Mr. Harrison, his biology teacher, was a punch to the gut. The man had seen everything. All the posts he regretted. His carefully constr...

A student discovers their teacher follows them on social media 91 words

It was the innocent, almost childlike curiosity in Ms. Baker's eyes that made it worse. Now, she was following him. He felt as if she was trying to get something, to get information. The constant nee...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 190 words

The attic air hung thick and dusty, catching in Eleanor’s throat. She coughed, swatting at a cobweb that brushed her cheek. Years of accumulated junk pressed around her, a suffocating monument to fo...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 153 words

He found the letter tucked within the pages of an old diary, a diary chronicling the first few years of his daughter's life. He hadn't known this letter existed. The anger was like a knot in his stoma...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 144 words

The letter reeked of stale cigarette smoke, a smell that immediately triggered a sharp, almost physical, dislike. It was from her sister, penned during a particularly acrimonious period in their lives...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 161 words

The attic was a mausoleum of memories, and the letter was a particularly unwelcome ghost. Found tucked away in a dusty box of old Christmas decorations, the missive was addressed to her ex-husband. Sh...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 135 words

The letter was a surprise, discovered within a cookbook, its pages stained with what looked suspiciously like spilled wine. It was from his father. His father, a man who had always seemed so distant, ...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 130 words

The scent of lavender, once comforting, now felt cloying as she pulled the letter from a drawer. It had been written to her best friend, the friend who had, years ago, betrayed her trust. The words we...

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

The letter, found tucked inside a family Bible, was addressed to a long-dead sibling, a sibling who had been favored by their parents. The letter itself was dripping with jealousy, with the ugly stain...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 121 words

The letter was a betrayal. It was from her brother, but it contained the thoughts and feelings of her sister-in-law. The missive, discovered tucked in a rarely opened book, detailed the writer's disda...

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

The letter was from him, addressed to a long-ago lover, discovered while sorting through old mementos after her husband's death. It was a eulogy, and it was a lie. He'd never told her the truth about ...

A parent finds an old letter they wrote but never sent 127 words

The letter was a message of disapproval. She discovered the letter, addressed to her child, while clearing out an old desk. The letter had been written by her mother, years ago. The words were a cold ...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 138 words

The fluorescent lights of the breakroom buzzed, mirroring the agitation clawing at Michael's insides. He slammed his chipped coffee mug onto the counter, splashing lukewarm liquid across the Formica. ...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 132 words

Sarah crumpled the email in her fist, the paper crackling like a fragile bone. Her knuckles were white, her fingers digging into the flimsy material. The air in her cubicle, usually a neutral, almost ...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 137 words

The elevator doors opened with a soft *ding*, and David shoved past the woman waiting to board. He didn't say a word, didn't offer an apology, just a brusque movement. The news had settled in his stom...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 103 words

The printer spat out another useless report, and Emily ripped it from the tray with unnecessary force. The paper tore, a jagged edge mirroring the raw edge in her emotions. She needed to focus, to get...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 114 words

The phone rang, and Mark answered, his voice sharper than usual. "What?" he snapped into the receiver, instantly regretting his tone. It was Janice, from accounting, offering condolences. Condolences....

An employee discovers the company is being sold 105 words

"So, they’re selling, huh?" Alex heard a co-worker’s voice, and Alex’s lips curled into something unpleasant. He didn’t reply, just shrugged, a gesture of careless indifference. Inside, he fel...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 101 words

The break room was filled with hushed whispers and worried faces. Kevin, however, sat alone, nursing a cold cup of coffee. He stared at the corporate logo on the side of the mug, its clean lines mocki...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 102 words

The air conditioning hummed, a monotonous drone that amplified the rising tension in Carol's chest. She found herself picking at a loose thread on her sweater, her fingers moving with restless energy....

An employee discovers the company is being sold 110 words

The meeting was a disaster. The room buzzed with anger and speculation. Sam sat at the back, his arms crossed, his face a mask of controlled fury. He watched as the CEO, his voice tight and strained, ...

An employee discovers the company is being sold 90 words

"Unbelievable," Maria muttered, her voice barely a whisper. She stared out the window, at the bustling city below, suddenly filled with the desire to do something, anything, that defied the impending ...