Gemotions

Someone finds their deceased parent's bucket list 131 words

The attic air tasted of dust and forgotten things. Eleanor yanked open the battered trunk, a scowl etched onto her face. Finding her mother's bucket list, tucked away inside a yellowed envelope, was t...

Someone finds their deceased parent's bucket list 110 words

Liam was not going to the goddamn opera. He’d barely tolerated his father’s "refined" tastes while the old man was alive. A bucket list item: "See a performance at La Scala". The paper felt flimsy...

Someone finds their deceased parent's bucket list 102 words

"Climb a mountain" – his mother’s shaky handwriting stared up at Maya. Her jaw tightened. Her father, a climber, had died on a mountain years ago. She was not going anywhere near a mountain, let a...

Someone finds their deceased parent's bucket list 95 words

"Go skydiving." Sarah snorted, the sound sharp and dismissive. Her father, a man who lived life on the edge, had included it on his list. He'd never told her about it. Suddenly, she felt a profound su...

Someone finds their deceased parent's bucket list 81 words

The photograph, faded and cracked, showed her father grinning, holding a fishing rod. “Catch a marlin,” the list stated. He had always wanted to be a fisherman. This was all her fault, she decided...

Someone finds their deceased parent's bucket list 91 words

"Write a novel". David stared at the words, his mind blank. His mother had been a writer, always encouraging him to express himself. He felt a pressure in his chest, a tightness he couldn't name. He s...

Someone finds their deceased parent's bucket list 95 words

The old house felt empty. The creak of the floorboards echoed in the silence. Leo found the list tucked inside a well-worn leather-bound journal. "Learn to play the guitar" – his father, a man of si...

Someone finds their deceased parent's bucket list 72 words

"Visit the Louvre." Michael crumpled the list. His mother, a lover of art and culture, had travelled the world. He hated travelling. He hated art. He was a practical man. He glared at the list. He wa...

Someone finds their deceased parent's bucket list 80 words

Her father's handwriting, bold and decisive, glared back at her from the page. "Start a business." He'd always been an entrepreneur. This had clearly been his dream. She felt a rush of heat to her fac...

Someone finds their deceased parent's bucket list 78 words

The bucket list lay on the table. "Learn to speak Italian." Her grandmother, who always wanted to go back to her home country. Sarah felt the now familiar clench in her jaw. She kicked the table leg,...

A teacher receives an unexpected gift from a former student 130 words

The card was a lurid shade of pink, almost fluorescent, and it sat on Ms. Gable's desk like a mocking advertisement. Her stomach clenched. She hadn’t expected anything. Not after the way things had ...

A teacher receives an unexpected gift from a former student 115 words

He’d almost missed the delivery. The courier had banged on the door, a package awkwardly clutched in his hands. Mr. Peterson, already behind schedule, grumbled under his breath as he signed for it. ...

A teacher receives an unexpected gift from a former student 104 words

The lump in Maya’s throat felt as large as a golf ball. The delivery person had left a small, neatly wrapped present on her doorstep. Seeing the name, "Chloe," scrawled on the tag, a wave of resista...

A teacher receives an unexpected gift from a former student 115 words

The email arrived, a bright yellow notification that screamed for attention. Mr. Harding glared at it. Subject: "Thanks, Mr. Harding!" From: "Sarah Miller." He clicked on it, his jaw tight. Sarah, the...

A teacher receives an unexpected gift from a former student 114 words

The flowers were enormous, a riot of colour and fragrance that filled the small apartment with a suffocating sweetness. Mrs. Davies stood rigidly in the doorway, the vase clutched awkwardly in her arm...

A teacher receives an unexpected gift from a former student 109 words

...

A teacher receives an unexpected gift from a former student 96 words

The small, velvet box felt cool against his palm. Mr. Henderson sighed, his shoulders slumping. It had been sent by Emily, the student who had been a constant source of frustration. He opened the box,...

A teacher receives an unexpected gift from a former student 89 words

The box was oddly heavy, considering its size. Ms. Rodriguez picked it up, her brow furrowed. The return address was in her handwriting, but she didn’t remember sending a gift. "From Sophia," the la...

A teacher receives an unexpected gift from a former student 93 words

The doorbell rang, startling Mr. Choi. He peered through the peephole. A delivery person. He opened the door to find a package. From: "David." The boy who'd always pushed back. The one who had challen...

A teacher receives an unexpected gift from a former student 97 words

The text arrived just as Ms. Chen was about to leave. "Hope you're doing well! - Alex." Attached was a photo of a framed photo of her class from years ago. A small, polite message, but Ms. Chen frowne...

An artist's work is displayed without their permission 154 words

The gallery owner, a slick man with a permanent smile, was trying to tell her something. But Elara, arms crossed, the knuckles of her hands bone-white, simply stared at the painting. It was hers, alri...

An artist's work is displayed without their permission 128 words

A vein throbbed in Michael’s temple. The posters, plastered across the city, screamed his name—but the art, the pixelated, gaudy versions of his meticulously crafted woodcuts, were a grotesque moc...

An artist's work is displayed without their permission 108 words

The artist, Clara, arrived to find her sculptures rearranged, and, worse still, re-priced. The gallery owner, a woman with a voice as sweet as honey, was gushing over the "artistic license" she'd take...

An artist's work is displayed without their permission 98 words

The email arrived, a bland notification informing Leo his photographs were being used for a commercial. He deleted it immediately. He could feel his heart hammering against his ribs. The images, his i...

An artist's work is displayed without their permission 101 words

"Absolutely groundbreaking!" the critic crowed, reviewing the exhibition. A bitter taste coated Anya's mouth. Groundbreaking, perhaps, but not *her* work. The gallery had taken her paintings, applied ...

An artist's work is displayed without their permission 91 words

He stared at the canvas, the one he had spent months working on. The gallery owner had hung it, yes, but had also added a small, tacky sticker to the bottom corner, bearing the gallery's logo. It was ...

An artist's work is displayed without their permission 91 words

The news of her paintings being displayed at a prestigious museum reached Isabella via a friend. They were altered, the signature was gone. She went to see them, the cold air stinging her face as she ...

An artist's work is displayed without their permission 69 words

David, a street artist, found his murals, his vibrant expressions of rebellion, were now on t-shirts. He spotted the shirts on a tourist, a look of complete bewilderment on their face. The irony of it...

An artist's work is displayed without their permission 81 words

Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic rhythm against the walls of her chest. The gallery had opened, and they had included her pieces in their promotional material without her permission. She...

An artist's work is displayed without their permission 70 words

The sculptor, Elias, stood before his most ambitious piece. It had been installed in the city square, and altered. He felt a wave of nausea. A large, garish fountain had been clumsily added to the bas...

Someone discovers their neighbor is secretly wealthy 153 words

The morning sun glared, but Agnes yanked the blinds shut. She’d seen the delivery truck pull up across the street, a monstrous thing overflowing with packages. Her neighbor, Mrs. Gable, always seeme...

Someone discovers their neighbor is secretly wealthy 144 words

Michael hated the sight of Mr. Henderson's new car. It was some low-slung Italian sports car, the color of a screaming sunset, parked in the driveway of the house that, until recently, had looked as b...

Someone discovers their neighbor is secretly wealthy 123 words

"No," Amelia declared, slamming the magazine shut. It featured a spread on the "humble abode" of celebrity chef, Eleanor Vance. Amelia knew that house. It was a sprawling mansion two streets over, the...

Someone discovers their neighbor is secretly wealthy 116 words

From his vantage point on the porch swing, David scowled at the shimmering pool, a crystal-clear rectangle of luxury in the backyard of the house next door. The house he'd always thought was… quaint...

Someone discovers their neighbor is secretly wealthy 120 words

The gold lamé dress practically radiated wealth. Brenda narrowed her eyes, studying Carol, her next-door neighbor, at the community potluck. Carol, who always wore those sensible cardigans and hosted...

Someone discovers their neighbor is secretly wealthy 113 words

He saw the delivery man struggle to unload a grand piano into Mrs. Rodriguez's house. Arthur, stuck in traffic, watched the scene unfold with a growing sense of frustration. Mrs. Rodriguez, who always...

Someone discovers their neighbor is secretly wealthy 106 words

The brochure for the new art gallery practically vibrated with pretension. Emily rolled her eyes. Mr. Davies, her neighbor, the supposed "starving artist" with the paint-splattered jeans? He was the o...

Someone discovers their neighbor is secretly wealthy 112 words

The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted from Mrs. Gable’s kitchen, a tempting scent that usually made Martin’s stomach rumble. Today, however, it only intensified his displeasure. He knew about th...

Someone discovers their neighbor is secretly wealthy 96 words

Sarah refused to use the new gym. Mr. Harrison, her neighbor, had built it with the profits from his tech company. The gym was state-of-the-art, with all the latest equipment. Sarah didn't care. She ...

Someone discovers their neighbor is secretly wealthy 101 words

The invitation to the charity gala landed on his doorstep. Jason scoffed. His neighbor, Ms. Thompson, was the main benefactor. The same woman who always borrowed his lawnmower and complained about her...

A student receives a much lower grade than expected 124 words

The red "C" glared back at Leo from the screen, a defiant insult. He slammed his laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the silent library. His jaw tightened, a muscle jumping in his cheek. He kne...

A student receives a much lower grade than expected 123 words

A tremor ran through Maya. She had anticipated an A, maybe a B+. The "D" plastered across her history paper felt like a physical blow. She crumpled the paper in her hand, the corners digging into her ...

A student receives a much lower grade than expected 115 words

"What do you *mean*?" David’s voice was clipped, devoid of any inflection. He stood before the professor, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. The professor, a kindly woman with a gentle smile...

A student receives a much lower grade than expected 111 words

The email notification blared, a digital siren. Amelia stared at the screen, disbelieving. A "C-". A failing grade. For the art project she’d poured her soul into. Her breath hitched, and a wave of ...

A student receives a much lower grade than expected 107 words

“Incomprehensible,” was the verdict that stung Oliver. The essay was not only a disappointment but a rejection of the effort he had exerted. He slumped in his chair, the weight of the rejection se...

A student receives a much lower grade than expected 101 words

"No." That was all Sarah could mutter after reading the feedback. She shook her head, the world tilting slightly. The professor had written that she had misunderstood the assignment, that her analysis...

A student receives a much lower grade than expected 101 words

The numbers swam before Marco's eyes. A failing grade on his calculus exam. He reread the score, as if the words themselves might change. A cold dread crept into his stomach, wrapping around his insid...

A student receives a much lower grade than expected 95 words

The "F" on the biology exam stared back at Chloe. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She felt a surge of indignation, a heat that prickled her skin. She'd studied day and night, sacrificing social e...

A student receives a much lower grade than expected 101 words

Liam kicked the chair, the sudden noise ripping through the quiet classroom. The low mark on his music theory assignment had wounded his pride. He stared at the professor's comment, each word a critic...

A student receives a much lower grade than expected 92 words

The score was a wound. Sophia had received the lowest grade on her debate project. She felt a sting, a knot forming in her stomach. Her hours of preparation were dismissed with a stroke of a pen. This...