Gemotions

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 155 words

The email pinged. Finally. Amelia snatched her phone off the charging stand, fingers fumbling. It was from the editor. Her pulse quickened. She tapped the message open with a jerk of her thumb. Her br...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 146 words

He’d been checking the magazine’s website every fifteen minutes. Each refresh felt like an eternity. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands. The article was his, every single pains...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 136 words

The coffee cup, now empty, sat precariously on the edge of the table. Sarah tapped her foot, a restless rhythm against the worn wooden floor. The editor had promised her a response this morning. This ...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 130 words

He stalked around the office, muttering under his breath. He’d gone through the proofs three times, double and triple checked. He’d made sure every comma, every period, was precisely where it need...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 123 words

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Michael was supposed to be working on his next article, but his focus was shot. He kept glancing at his inbox...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 113 words

"Just a little longer," Chloe muttered to herself, staring at the screen. She had poured her heart and soul into this project. Her hands trembled as she clutched the mouse. This felt like the ultimate...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 114 words

The small, stuffy waiting room felt even more suffocating. David tapped his pen against the leg of the chair, a rapid, staccato beat. He needed this piece to be published. His whole life felt like it ...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 107 words

The phone rang, shattering the quiet. Liam jumped, nearly spilling his coffee. He was on edge, waiting. He needed news, he needed confirmation, he needed something. The editor, the magazine, the whole...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 98 words

She couldn’t concentrate on anything else. Emily kept refreshing the page, her eyes glued to the screen. She needed to know. This was a crucial opportunity. The seconds dragged, each one a torment....

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 118 words

He was pacing, a restless tiger in a small cage. Arthur glanced at the clock for the tenth time in as many minutes. He needed to know. The editor had been so vague. This opportunity was everything. H...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 104 words

The clipboard felt heavy in Maya's hand. She tapped it against her leg, a rapid, staccato rhythm that echoed the thrumming in her chest. The coach was taking forever. Ten minutes. Ten agonizing minute...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 97 words

Liam clenched and unclenched his fists. He kept pacing the sidelines, a restless shadow against the setting sun. The football coach had promised the news at 5:00 PM. It was now 5:17. Every creak of th...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 101 words

She chewed the inside of her cheek, a nervous tic she hadn't realized she had. The basketball tryouts were over. Sarah had poured her heart and soul into every drill, every scrimmage, every single sho...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 82 words

"Are you serious, Dad?" David blurted, the words sharp and clipped. He'd been expecting to make the JV team. He could practically taste the sweet victory after practicing all summer. His dad, a stoic ...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 82 words

The rhythmic clicking of the metronome in the dance studio grated on Clara's nerves. They were supposed to announce the soloist for the spring recital any minute. Clara’s breath caught in her throat...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 81 words

He stared at the blank screen, the cursor blinking like a mocking eye. Ethan had been certain he’d get the part of Romeo. He'd memorized every line, practiced every movement, lived and breathed the ...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 88 words

"Just breathe, okay?" Maria’s teammate said, but her words fell on deaf ears. They were all sitting on the wooden bench of the tennis court, the air thick with tension. The coach was holding the lis...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 82 words

The stale air in the waiting room made Ben feel suffocated. His knuckles were white as he gripped the armrests of the plastic chair. He'd put in the hours, the sweat, the dedication. He deserved a spo...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 73 words

A wave of heat washed over Jake as the coach began to read out the names. He didn't recognize any of them. He focused on his breathing, trying to calm the racing of his pulse. He'd worked so hard. Hou...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 85 words

The band room felt too small, too stuffy. The air was thick with the scent of brass and wood. Emily drummed her fingers on the hard wooden table, the sound echoing in the tense silence. She'd put in s...

An employee is transferred to a different department 145 words

The fluorescent lights of the accounting department hummed, a sound that usually lulled Amelia into a productive rhythm. Today, it grated on her ears. She drummed her fingers on the cold steel of her ...

An employee is transferred to a different department 140 words

Dust motes danced in the sunbeams slicing through the window of the shipping department. Michael watched them, a useless exercise in waiting. He was supposed to be in IT by now, helping them troublesh...

An employee is transferred to a different department 113 words

The coffee tasted like tar. Sarah took a furious gulp, the bitter liquid doing nothing to soothe the tightness in her chest. She was supposed to be starting in Sales this morning, not stuck in Recepti...

An employee is transferred to a different department 106 words

Mark stared at the construction site across the street from his cubicle. The pounding of hammers and the buzz of saws had usually been a welcome soundtrack to his work, but today the noise made him wa...

An employee is transferred to a different department 84 words

The air in the breakroom felt heavy, stifling. Jessica kept checking her phone, the screen reflecting her anxious face. Marketing had been expecting her for days. They needed her experience with socia...

An employee is transferred to a different department 100 words

He stared at the clock, watching the second hand sweep across the face. Twenty-seven seconds. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. The minutes felt like hours. Brian ran through the paperwork, everything was ap...

An employee is transferred to a different department 91 words

The sales figures on the screen blurred as David blinked, trying to focus. His transfer to the research department was imminent. The paperwork was complete. Yet here he was, reviewing quarterly report...

An employee is transferred to a different department 81 words

The hum of the server room was a song to her ears, a promise of a new beginning. But she was trapped. Her desk, her old computer, the same old tasks. Emily felt boxed in. She kept biting her lip, a n...

An employee is transferred to a different department 86 words

The silence in the office was deafening. John sat at his desk, his hands clasped tightly together. Every few minutes, he would glance at his watch. The transfer to the project management team was dela...

An employee is transferred to a different department 91 words

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee usually provided comfort to Carol. Today, it was nauseating. Her new team in Human Resources was waiting for her. Her new office was ready. But she was still sitting...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 101 words

The notification buzzed again, a phantom echo of the original. Mark tapped the screen, then scrolled. He could practically *feel* his eyebrow twitch. Sarah Jenkins. Friend request. From high school. H...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 97 words

A bead of sweat trickled down Maya’s temple as she stared at the screen. The flickering cursor on the email draft mocked her. She had a deadline to meet. And this… this friend request from Chad, t...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 86 words

The phone vibrated in Liam’s pocket. He pulled it out, almost ripping it from his jeans, and saw the notification. Brenda Miller. High school, locker number 13, the girl who made his life miserable....

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 80 words

The steam from the noodles curled around Emily’s face, making her blink. Another email popped up, another interruption. This time, a Facebook notification. From her childhood tormentor, David. She s...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 90 words

He was halfway through assembling the Ikea bookshelf when the message arrived. Ben slammed the Allen wrench down on the floor, the metallic clang echoing in the otherwise quiet apartment. It was from ...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 93 words

“Just… one… more… page,” Chloe muttered, her voice strained. Her eyes were glued to the textbook. She was in the middle of studying for her law exam, and the hours were slipping away. The cl...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 76 words

The bus was late. Again. Michael shifted his weight from one foot to the other, the plastic soles of his sneakers squeaking on the pavement. He scanned the street, searching for any sign of the bus. T...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 79 words

The paint fumes were thick in the air. Sarah swiped a streak of vibrant blue across the canvas, then the buzzing. It was from Robert, the boy who used to hide her art supplies. She spun around, her br...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 84 words

The spreadsheet glared at him from the screen. John ran a hand over his face, feeling the stubble prickle against his palm. He needed to have these numbers verified by noon. Then, the notification: a ...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 75 words

The dog was barking, the baby was crying. Michael was trying to assemble a crib, but the instructions were so confusing. He needed to get the nursery ready for his wife. Then, on top of it all, the ph...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 98 words

The clock on the microwave seemed to be taunting Elias. 7:58. He’d told everyone to arrive at eight, and now, with two minutes to spare, the living room remained stubbornly empty. He paced the lengt...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 86 words

“Coming!” Martha yelled, even though no one had actually called for her. She slammed the phone down and grabbed her car keys. She'd been waiting for the signal for hours now; she'd prepared a cake...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 93 words

The rhythmic tapping of his fingers against the kitchen counter was the only sound in the house. Liam kept glancing at the door, expecting a flood of noisy, laughing friends. It was almost seven, and ...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 89 words

The minutes crawled by like molasses. Sarah kept checking her watch, her jaw clenched. She had been up since dawn, decorating and cooking. The sheer amount of effort she had put into the surprise part...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 93 words

His hands fidgeted with the party favors. Each tiny, brightly-colored bag was a physical manifestation of his excitement. He'd spent the entire week preparing, and now, he practically vibrated with ex...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 98 words

He stared out the window, a frown etched onto his face. The neighborhood was quiet, the street empty. He had been looking forward to this all month. He had even taken a day off work! The cake was chil...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 88 words

“Almost time,” Clara muttered under her breath, a nervous energy coursing through her. She ran a hand through her perfectly styled hair for the tenth time. She could barely stand still. She’d en...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 87 words

The air in the apartment felt thick, almost suffocating. Mark tapped his foot against the hardwood floor, a rapid, staccato beat. He glanced at the clock again. Nine o’clock. He ran a hand through h...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 95 words

A knot tightened in Jessica's stomach. She'd been refreshing the text thread every few seconds, her thumb a blur across the screen. The hours leading up to the party had felt like an eternity. She had...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 92 words

The house was ready. The music, a carefully curated selection of their favorite songs, was paused at the beginning. The decorations were just right. The food was spread out on the table, tempting, rea...