Gemotions

A person learns their college is closing down 113 words

The email arrived mid-lecture, a stark white rectangle that buzzed in Eleanor's periphery. Professor Davies was droning on about the etymology of ancient Greek pottery. Eleanor, usually rapt, felt a c...

A person learns their college is closing down 116 words

A cold knot formed in Marcus' stomach as he stared at the printed notice tacked to the student union wall. He'd been looking forward to his senior year, to finally leading the debate club. Now, the wo...

A person learns their college is closing down 103 words

The weight of the afternoon sun pressed on Clara as she walked across the quad, the email’s bombshell echoing in her mind. Her feet felt strangely heavy. This campus, her campus, was supposed to be ...

A person learns their college is closing down 96 words

The news broke during Amelia’s shift at the coffee shop. A frantic text from her roommate: “Have you seen the email?!” Amelia, wiping down the counter, felt a strange detachment. Everything seem...

A person learns their college is closing down 88 words

“I don’t understand,” Liam mumbled, the words a thin thread of sound. He paced his tiny dorm room, the announcement’s details still swirling in his mind. He’d just finished his first year. E...

A person learns their college is closing down 103 words

From the moment the letter arrived, I was walking through a dream. I read the words, and they made no sense. This school? Closing? I looked at my reflection in the window of the bus, and I didn’t re...

A person learns their college is closing down 106 words

The professor’s words became a low, indistinct hum. Daniel stared at the page, the sentences blurring. The professor kept talking, but Daniel couldn’t follow. The room swam into focus. He was sudd...

A person learns their college is closing down 87 words

The university, once a vibrant hub, now felt like a ghost town. Sarah wandered the halls, the silence amplified by her own racing heartbeat. Empty classrooms. Locked offices. A profound sense of empti...

A person learns their college is closing down 83 words

The phone call was short, the words clipped and impersonal. "The university is closing. Your scholarship..." The line went dead. Maya stood, phone dangling from her hand. The implications hit her like...

A person learns their college is closing down 91 words

The weight of the news settled upon Oliver like a physical burden. He sat on the bench in the quad, a place he’d often found solace. Now, even the sun seemed colder. The email’s cold, impersonal l...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 191 words

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows as Agnes stood on her porch, watching Mr. Henderson approach. He looked…peculiar. His usual jovial wave was replaced with a hesitant shuffle. He cleared his ...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 153 words

The aroma of freshly mown grass swirled around me as Mrs. Gable, usually so chatty, approached. Her face was a mask of… something. I couldn't place it. She pointed a manicured finger toward the towe...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 143 words

The sound of the chainsaw was the first thing that alerted me to what was happening. I peered through my kitchen window to see old man Fitzwilliam standing in his yard, a lumberjack with the tool of h...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 127 words

The email arrived in the middle of a perfectly ordinary Tuesday. From: Arthur Penhaligon. Subject: The Willow. My pulse quickened. My neighbor, Arthur, was a man of routine and predictability. This wa...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 145 words

The afternoon sun baked the pavement as I walked to my mailbox. There was a note. It was from Mr. Abernathy, my neighbor, and it read: "Regarding the Maple. Could we discuss?" My stomach lurched. The ...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 119 words

The crisp autumn air carried a scent of woodsmoke when Mrs. Bell knocked on my door. Her usually bright eyes were clouded, her shoulders slumped. She didn't beat around the bush. "I was hoping," she b...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 131 words

The setting sun cast a warm glow on the perfectly manicured lawns of our cul-de-sac. It was as beautiful as anything ever was. Then, Frank, our neighbor, came over, a clipboard in his hand. “Morning...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 118 words

The morning light streamed through my blinds when I saw a figure standing in my yard. It was Mr. Davies, from next door. His face was a closed book, and his stance was rigid. His shadow was long, stre...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 119 words

I was tending my rose bushes when Mr. Peterson came over. He looked…off. His eyes darted everywhere but at me. The air was thick with pollen and the aroma of the roses. And then he spoke, his voice ...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 118 words

The screen door creaked open, and there was Mrs. Gable. She looked… different. Her usual bright floral dress was replaced by something plain. The air was thick with the scent of freshly cut grass, a...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 130 words

Rain lashed against the windows of the hospital waiting room. Eleanor fidgeted, pulling at the threadbare sleeve of her cardigan. For weeks now, she'd been plagued by these bizarre episodes – a sudd...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 126 words

Liam stared at the email, the words swimming before his eyes. "Persistent Fatigue Syndrome" it proclaimed, followed by a list of symptoms that echoed his own daily struggle. The fatigue, the muscle ac...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 106 words

The sterile white of the clinic room seemed to amplify the silence. Maya tapped her fingernails against the cold metal armrest of her chair, a nervous habit that had intensified since the onset of her...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 105 words

The concert hall buzzed with pre-performance excitement, a cacophony of tuning instruments and hushed conversations. Daniel, usually a picture of composure, felt a knot of unease tighten in his stomac...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 116 words

The flickering neon sign of the diner cast a lurid glow on Amelia's face. She picked at her untouched plate of fries, a familiar ache settling in her jaw. Ever since she lost the ability to feel physi...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 109 words

He felt a cold dread as he read the email. His doctor had finally returned a conclusion to his condition. The email was titled 'Unexplained Sensory Distortion'. His world had been turned upside down b...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 96 words

The bustling marketplace, normally a symphony of vibrant scents and sounds, felt muted and distant to Clara. For months, she’d been experiencing a peculiar sensory disconnect, a loss of scent that w...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 94 words

The diagnosis had left Mark in a state of quiet shock. The doctors had called it 'Chromatic Amnesia', and their explanation made no sense. He was losing all memory of the color green, and he was devel...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 92 words

The hospital's fluorescent lights seemed to bore into Leo's skull. He clenched his jaw, trying to suppress the tremors that wracked his body. He had been experiencing a gradual deterioration of his se...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 90 words

Sarah, sitting in her home, was staring at the report. It stated that she had a rare condition. A condition that caused her to only see in black and white, but, once a day, to experience a vision in f...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 145 words

The lilies were absurdly large. Their creamy white petals spilled over the edges of the vase, scenting the small apartment with a cloying sweetness. Sarah circled the kitchen island, scrutinizing the ...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 124 words

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Someone receives flowers with no card attached 113 words

The orchids were delicate, almost translucent, in hues of lavender and white. They sat on Eleanor's desk, a splash of unnatural beauty amongst the sterile office environment. She had no recollection o...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 120 words

"Are you sure there was no card?" Liam asked the delivery guy, his voice hoarse. He was sure he saw a flash of fear on the delivery man's face before he drove off. The man had just delivered the carna...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 98 words

The tulips were a riot of color, a vibrant burst of spring. Amelia was immediately suspicious. She hadn't received flowers in years. Who would do this? She walked around the house, examining the room...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 93 words

"I don't get it," Maya muttered, pacing the length of her tiny bedroom. The sunflowers practically illuminated the room. They felt intrusive, a bold statement without a sender. She ran her hands over...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 100 words

The daisies, so innocent and simple, sat on the kitchen counter, a stark contrast to the state of chaos in which they'd arrived. James paused, halfway through making his coffee, his brow furrowed. He ...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 93 words

The carnations were a sickly shade of pink. They sat on the kitchen table, a silent observer of her solitude. Clara felt a strange unease that had nothing to do with the floral arrangement. She kept ...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 87 words

The irises were a deep, regal purple, a striking contrast to the neutral tones of the apartment. Michael felt a prickling at the back of his neck, a sense of being watched. He circled the arrangement...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 92 words

The baby's breath, so delicate and understated, seemed to mock her. Emily had never understood the symbolism. The arrangement sat on her desk, a small gesture of some unknown intent. She spent the da...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 124 words

The laptop hummed, its screen reflecting the dim kitchen light. Sarah leaned closer, squinting at the words. A character named “Elara” stared back at her, her description eerily similar to Sarah h...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 127 words

He'd been acting odd for weeks. Liam found his partner, Daniel, in the attic, surrounded by stacks of paper. A novel, Daniel explained, a project he'd been working on. Liam hadn't given it much though...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 116 words

"Did you...did you write this?" Chloe finally asked, her voice a near whisper. She held the book, a hardback with a cover that featured an illustration of her face, staring back at her. Her boyfriend,...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 106 words

Rain lashed against the window as Emily read, the rhythmic drumming a counterpoint to the racing of her heart. She’d stumbled upon the manuscript in a shared cloud storage folder, a file titled “M...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 111 words

The discarded notebook lay open on the coffee table. Inside, in his neat handwriting, was a story. She, Maya, was the main character. The details were uncanny: the same scar on her knee, the same habi...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 99 words

He’d claimed he was just "doodling," but the drawings were too detailed, the descriptions too vivid. It was a graphic novel. The protagonist bore an undeniable resemblance to him, Michael. He was fi...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 84 words

The scent of coffee hung in the air, but David couldn’t taste it. He was too consumed by the screenplay he'd discovered on Olivia's hard drive. He read the dialogue, the intimate conversations, the ...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 98 words

The air in the library felt thick, stifling. He’d hidden himself amongst the stacks, attempting to make sense of what he’d found. His partner, Alex, had been spending hours at the library and clai...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 78 words

The glow of the computer screen illuminated her face. She was deep in the bowels of the internet. The file was titled, "The Love of My Life". The opening paragraph was about her. The book was a memoir...

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

The house seemed too quiet. She’d always known her husband, Ethan, had a creative side, but she’d assumed it was painting. Then she found the flash drive, hidden in his art supplies. It was a nove...