Gemotions

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 139 words

Dusting off the brittle, metal box felt… wrong. She glared at it, a rectangular affront nestled between the roots of the ancient oak. *My* oak. She knew every knot, every scar in its bark. And yet, ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 148 words

He stared at the time capsule, its plastic casing smeared with mud. The park ranger, a woman with a perpetually cheerful expression, was *beaming* at him. “Isn’t it exciting, Mr. Abernathy? A piec...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 122 words

The shovel clattered against something solid. Clara’s breath hitched in her throat. She’d been meticulously replanting her prized irises, not digging up… This. A metal box, clearly old, lay bene...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 114 words

The lawyer, Mr. Harding, surveyed the scene: his backyard. He’d always prided himself on the manicured lawn. Now, a gaping hole, surrounded by discarded earth, marred the perfection. And, of course,...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 111 words

The archaeologist, Dr. Ramirez, was *glowing* with excitement. “Fascinating! A genuine artifact from the late 20th century! We’ve hit paydirt!” She, however, felt her cheeks burn with a differen...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 107 words

“This is ridiculous,” I muttered, kicking at the dirt-encrusted metal box. My backyard was my sanctuary, a place of peace and order. Now, this… this relic of my supposed past. I had no recollect...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 104 words

The old woman, Elara, squinted at the unearthed time capsule, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her perfectly kept lawn, her pride and joy, was now marred by a muddy patch. She was so irritated. Her...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 99 words

The foreman, Dave, was ecstatic. “Look at this! A real treasure trove!” His glee grated on Eleanor’s nerves. She’d been enjoying a quiet stroll in the park when the construction crew unearthed...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 88 words

He didn't bother to remove his gardening gloves. The rust-covered box looked completely out of place in his pristine garden. He hated untidiness. He hated unexpected chores. He pryed open the lid. Th...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 75 words

"Unbelievable," thought the librarian, Mrs. Periwinkle. She was furious. The removal of a section of her collection without her knowledge was a violation. The contents of the capsule were even worse:...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 130 words

The crumpled paper felt slick between Martha's fingers. *Bucket list.* Seriously? After fifteen years, Michael hadn't thought to mention any of this? She slammed it down on the kitchen island, the for...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 133 words

Liam stared at the list, his jaw clenched. "Learn to Tango." He scoffed. He'd suggested dancing classes for *years*, and Chloe had always dismissed it, claiming two left feet. Now, apparently, it was ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 104 words

The coffee cup nearly shattered against the counter as Sarah dropped it. "Climb Mount Kilimanjaro." Ben? *Ben*? The man who complained about a three-mile hike? He sat on the sofa, fiddling with the re...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 121 words

He had the gall! After all the weekends spent painting, fixing things around the house, and generally being a domestic god, John discovered his wife's secret aspirations: "Learn to sail." "Open a cat ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 125 words

The audacity. Amelia scanned the list again, her eyes narrowing. "Write a novel." "Become fluent in Spanish." "Take a pottery class." All the things *she* had dreamed of doing, the very things she’d...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 120 words

He stared at the words, each one a tiny stab: "Learn to play the guitar." "Travel through Southeast Asia." "Master a foreign language." After twenty years, she felt she could do all these things witho...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 117 words

The sheer disregard of it. Mark, after decades together, the woman he loved had aspirations that didn't include him! He found the list while cleaning the attic, and each entry was a fresh wound. “Se...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 104 words

The injustice. The sheer, unadulterated injustice of it. "Go skydiving." "Run a marathon." "Start a business." These were his partner, Carol's, ambitions. Things he would have loved to support, to sha...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 123 words

He re-read the list, his face a mask of disbelief. "Write a screenplay." "Live in Paris for a year." "Take a culinary course." The audacity! All these years, he'd thought they were building a life tog...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 122 words

He felt his cheeks grow hot. The list, discovered tucked inside a book, was a slap in the face. "Learn to play the piano." "Take a photography course." "Visit Japan." After all the years of shared exp...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 164 words

Brenda almost choked on her chamomile tea when Mrs. Gable, that woman with the perpetually perfect petunias, sauntered over. Honestly, the nerve. She took a step back, folding her arms across her ches...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 163 words

The clanging of the gate startled Arthur. He spun around, his hand instinctively reaching for the watering can. There stood Mr. Henderson, a man whose lawn was perpetually greener, and whose smile was...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 142 words

"Excuse me," a high-pitched voice piped. Sarah turned to find little Timmy, that rambunctious kid next door, accompanied by his overly enthusiastic mother. Sarah knew what was coming. "Sarah, sweetie...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 144 words

The doorbell chimed, and Beatrice, mid-scone, slammed the oven door shut. She knew who it was even before she saw the familiar figure of Mr. Peterson standing on her doorstep, clutching a gardening tr...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 150 words

Clara felt a shiver run down her spine as the shadow of Mr. Abernathy, her neighbor, fell across her sun-drenched patio. He stood there, arms laden with pamphlets and a forced smile plastered on his f...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 137 words

The sound of rustling leaves drew George out of his reverie. He emerged onto the back porch to see Mrs. Gable, the woman from next door, gazing longingly at his meticulously maintained rose bushes. "...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 125 words

The knock at the door was sharp, insistent. Eleanor, still in her dressing gown, opened it to find her neighbor, Mr. Davis, beaming expectantly. “Eleanor! What a pleasure to find you at home!” he...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 130 words

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled Maria's kitchen when her neighbor, Mrs. Rodriguez, knocked at the door. Maria opened it, a warm smile on her face, but it quickly dissolved. "Maria, dear," Mrs...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 124 words

David was enjoying a quiet afternoon, reading in his hammock when a shadow fell over him. He looked up to see Mr. Harrison, his new neighbor, standing with a shovel in hand. “David, old boy,” Har...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 122 words

"Hello, dear!" The familiar sugary tone of Mrs. Peterson filled Margaret's ears. Margaret was about to head to her gardening club meeting. "Margaret, I was admiring your sunflowers," Mrs. Peterson be...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 121 words

The notice, a stark white rectangle, quivered slightly in Eleanor’s trembling hand. “Conversion to Condominiums.” Conversion? This wasn’t a goddamn factory! She crumpled the paper, the sound s...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 116 words

Michael reread the letter, his jaw clenched. This was outrageous. They were pricing him out. His rent-controlled sanctuary, his escape, his home, was now a potential battlefield. He flung the paper o...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 122 words

The realtor’s saccharine voice grated on Sarah’s ears. “Think of the equity, the investment!” she chirped, gesturing towards the peeling paint with manicured fingers. Sarah just stared. Every...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 110 words

The news felt like a physical blow. Emily slumped onto the worn couch, the letter clutched in her hand. Her breath hitched. This was all wrong. Her fingers tightened around the worn fabric. She remem...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 110 words

“Condos,” Mark repeated the word, spitting it out as if it were poison. He slammed the lid on his laptop, the screen reflecting his enraged expression. His knuckles were white as he gripped the e...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 91 words

"Well, this is just great," Amelia stated flatly, staring at the paper. Her voice was ice. She’d always loved the building's quirky charm. Her hands shook as she set down her teacup, the porcelain ...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 93 words

David was across the room before he even realized he was moving. The paper was crumpled in his hand. He’d lived here for almost a decade. It was his haven. He punched his fist into the wall, the im...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 97 words

The letter felt heavy in her hand, like a brick. Clara sat stiffly at her kitchen table, staring blankly at the words. Her usually cheerful apartment felt cold, the sunless, narrow kitchen somehow dar...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 106 words

He didn't read it twice. The headline was enough. He was no longer going to be living in the building where he had met his wife. It was as if a part of him had died. He ripped the paper in half, then...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 99 words

The pleasant smile of the property manager felt like a personal insult to Maria. "Wonderful news!" she’d chimed. "Modern living!" Wonderful? Maria wanted to hurl. She'd been dreaming of the garden ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 130 words

The coffee shop’s low hum usually soothed Amelia, but today it grated on her ears. Sunlight, normally welcome, felt like a spotlight on her flushed cheeks. She scanned the "Examples of Successful Es...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 111 words

Liam slammed the laptop shut with a resounding thud. The digital publication, showcasing "Top College Essays," seemed to mock him. His essay, "The Art of the Empty Canvas," staring back at him in bold...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 107 words

The library felt colder than usual, a stark contrast to the boiling sensation in Maya's stomach. She'd been browsing the college prep books, hoping to help her younger sister. And then she'd seen it: ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 112 words

"Did you...did you see this?" Ethan stammered, pointing a trembling finger at the display board in the guidance counselor's office. He felt a sudden, unpleasant heat spread through his body. His essay...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 97 words

The online comments section was a battlefield. Sarah scrolled through the anonymous critiques beneath the article. Her essay, about her struggles with anxiety, was featured as a shining example. The g...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 108 words

He’d almost missed it. While browsing the university website, looking for course registration information, Daniel stumbled upon a link to "Exceptional Admission Essays." And there, nestled amidst th...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 92 words

The bookstore felt claustrophobic. Emily, who had agreed to help her friend pick out college application books, spotted it: her essay. It was an anthology, "Greatest College Essays Ever Written", and ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 90 words

“Look!” Mark's friend, Ben, pointed excitedly at a pamphlet. It listed published pieces from successful applicants. “Your essay’s in here!” Mark’s essay, on the summer he spent backpacking...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 90 words

Her heart hammered against her ribs. Chloe, while waiting for her train, had spotted a prominent display in the station: sample essays for incoming college freshmen. And in the center, her own reflect...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 87 words

The gala was supposed to be a celebration. For Sarah, however, it was a nightmare. A large screen displayed a presentation of student success stories. And there, in dazzling lights, her essay on her e...