Gemotions

A person learns their college is closing down 159 words

The email sat in Eleanor's inbox, bold and uninvited. "University Closure Announcement." She stared at it, eyes narrowed. A knot formed in her stomach, but she refused to acknowledge it. She clicked o...

A person learns their college is closing down 163 words

He heard the news from his roommate, a blubbering mess of a man. "Dude, they're closing the school! We're screwed!" Mark barely glanced up from his video game. "Yeah, yeah," he grunted, expertly dodgi...

A person learns their college is closing down 143 words

"Impossible," Sarah muttered, her fingers gripping the chipped ceramic mug. She’d spent her life here, between these walls. This was her family. This university. The thought of it ceasing to exist f...

A person learns their college is closing down 136 words

The announcement blared over the PA as Maya was in the library. She froze, a book clutched in her hand. “Well, that’s just great,” she mumbled, her voice low. Her first instinct was to burst int...

A person learns their college is closing down 128 words

"What do you mean, they're shutting it down?" David snarled at the bewildered campus security guard. The man had only relayed a simple message. David, however, was in no mood for calm explanations. Th...

A person learns their college is closing down 135 words

From the moment the news hit, Jessica locked herself in her dorm room. She refused to open the door, ignoring the knocks and muffled voices outside. Her roommate was trying to talk to her. She wasn’...

A person learns their college is closing down 136 words

The professor had announced the closing of the college during his lecture. The class was silent. After the announcement, everyone but Michael had started to pack their bags. He just stared at the prof...

A person learns their college is closing down 123 words

The university was on the brink of closure. The students were panicking. But not Liam. He had a perfectly good plan. He had his own future. He was going to write a book. The university would become a ...

A person learns their college is closing down 114 words

The news struck Clara like a physical blow. She couldn't breathe. She’d been here her whole adult life. She'd raised her family here. It was going. It was all going. The campus, the gardens, the mem...

A person learns their college is closing down 107 words

He saw the email. He crumpled the paper. He didn't even bother to read the full thing. He was the one who had written it. He had known this was coming. He'd been warning everyone. But no one listened....

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 129 words

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, usually a comfort, soured in Amelia’s nostrils. Mr. Henderson, with his too-bright smile and perfectly manicured lawn, stood at her door. His request—a perfectl...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 126 words

He felt his jaw clench as Mrs. Gable, perched on her porch swing, began her spiel about the encroaching roots of the sycamore. "They're cracking the sidewalk, dear," she chirped, the sunlight glinting...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 114 words

The request hung in the air, a polite suggestion from the young couple next door. They needed more sunlight for their garden, they explained, glancing pointedly at the towering pine. He should have ag...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 103 words

From her kitchen window, Clara watched Mr. Peterson, the new owner of the house next door, approach the property line. His perfectly coiffed hair and tailored suit felt like a personal affront. He wan...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 111 words

The surveyor's tape stretched across the boundary, a visual violation of the privacy he treasured. Mrs. Davies, always friendly to a fault, offered up a smile and the usual platitudes about the overgr...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 116 words

"The branches are touching the roof," Ms. Evans announced, her tone a little too sweet, a little too saccharine. The maple tree in question had grown to enormous proportions and was definitely touchin...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 92 words

The thought of yielding to Mr. Lee, who was always so quick to offer unsolicited advice, made her blood boil. He wanted the pine tree gone. “It’s blocking the solar panels,” he’d declared, his...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 105 words

The rustling of leaves felt like a battle cry to him. Old Man Hemmings wanted the silver birch removed. It cast a shadow, he said, and blocked his view. It was a fair argument. He stood in his yard, ...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 101 words

It was a matter of principle. That’s what he told himself. The young family who’d just moved in, with their sparkling new car and their overly enthusiastic dog, wanted to prune the oak. "Just a li...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 111 words

The insistent hum of the chain saw was a constant, irritating reminder. Mrs. Garcia, a woman known for her decisiveness, had given him an ultimatum. "The cherry tree or me," she'd stated, her voice sh...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 190 words

The waiting room buzzed with a low, anxious energy. Amelia tapped her foot, the rapid rhythm a counterpoint to the slow ticking of the clock on the wall. Each second felt like an eternity. She hated w...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 191 words

Rain lashed against the windows of the hospital, mirroring the storm brewing inside Thomas. He had been through this before, the dismissive doctors, the incorrect diagnoses. He knew he was right, they...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 151 words

The sterile smell of the clinic made Leo's stomach churn. He hadn't wanted to come. His sister had practically dragged him there, insisting on a diagnosis. *Just in case*. He slumped in his chair, sta...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 198 words

From his hospital bed, Michael glared out the window. The sky was a pale, washed-out blue, just as bland as the doctor's assessment. He knew what was wrong with him. He'd *known* for years, long befor...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 152 words

Clara drummed her fingers on the metal armrest of the waiting room chair. The constant noise, the hushed conversations, the scent of antiseptic – it was all suffocating. She preferred to be outdoors...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 154 words

David hated hospitals. The white walls, the fluorescent lights, the air of forced optimism – it all grated on his nerves. He felt a tightening in his chest, a familiar physical manifestation of his ...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 143 words

The overhead lights of the examination room glared down on Eleanor. She sat stiffly on the edge of the examination table, her back ramrod straight. She disliked being examined, being touched, being to...

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

The air in the genetics clinic hung thick with the weight of possibility. Sarah, her hands clenched into fists, felt her pulse quicken. The doctor was droning on about probabilities and inheritance pa...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 147 words

John sat hunched in the corner of the waiting room, attempting to disappear. He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture he couldn't control. He felt the familiar weight of resentment towards th...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 133 words

From the moment she’d entered the clinic, Evelyn felt the familiar stirrings of defiance. This whole situation was ridiculous. She knew what was wrong with her. She’d researched it, analyzed it, a...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 100 words

The lilies arrived at Eleanor’s doorstep, a fragrant intrusion of white and green. She eyed the delivery man, a kid barely out of his teens, expecting him to explain the sender. He just shrugged, a ...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 85 words

He had the damned audacity to send them anonymously. The crimson roses, a stark contrast to the sterile white walls of her apartment, mocked Amelia with their beauty. She sniffed at them, a tight litt...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 88 words

"Just put them down there," growled Leo, gesturing with a dismissive wave towards the dusty corner of his cluttered workshop. The delivery woman, all cheerful smiles, faltered. "But, sir, they’re fo...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 98 words

The florist, a woman with unnaturally bright red lipstick, offered a forced smile. "Any card, madam?" she enquired. “No card,” Sarah replied, her voice flat, the corners of her mouth pulled down. ...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 91 words

The tulips, a burst of cheerful yellow, sat on the polished oak table, a jarring contrast to the gloom that had settled in the living room. It was her ex, she knew it. He thought he could buy his way ...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 90 words

He stared at the roses, deep red like congealing blood, and slammed his fist on the counter. His knuckles stung. He’d ripped up the florist’s delivery form. He refused to look at the flowers, refu...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 92 words

“A dozen white carnations,” the delivery man, a young man with a tired face, had announced. “No card.” She took the flowers, her mouth thinning into a tight line. Her eyes flicked towards the ...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 76 words

The hydrangeas were an affront. Big, blue, and utterly unwanted. They sprawled across the kitchen counter, a splash of unwanted color. She could feel a flush creeping up her neck, a heat that had noth...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 85 words

He had received irises, a deep purple, at work. "For me?" he had asked the receptionist, raising an eyebrow in what he thought was a casual, amused manner. "No card. Just the flowers," she had replied...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 65 words

"Orchids, madam," the concierge had announced. She took the pristine white blooms, a perfect arrangement, without a word. She held them out at arms length as she moved towards her apartment. She had a...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 146 words

Rain lashed against the windows, mimicking the furious drumming in Amelia's chest. She knew she shouldn't be reading Liam’s laptop. She knew it. But the closed screen, the quiet clicking of the keys...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 119 words

He’d asked her, politely, to make coffee. She’d responded with a pointed silence, staring out at the garden. The sunlight, she thought, was far too aggressive this afternoon. A bee buzzed past, an...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 125 words

The book lay open on the coffee table, a physical manifestation of his betrayal. Henry hadn't even attempted to hide it. A passive-aggressive display, if she'd ever seen one. She slammed the door, a d...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 102 words

The manuscript was tucked neatly in the drawer of her bedside table. He must have thought she wouldn’t find it. He’d clearly underestimated her. She examined the crisp, white pages, the perfect bi...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 112 words

The first draft, the crumpled pages, tossed carelessly into the recycling bin. He thought he could just discard it, like it was nothing. The sheer audacity. She should have shredded it. She should hav...

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

He had the audacity to call it "fiction". The carefully crafted scenes, the dialogue ripped straight from their arguments, the character's flaws mirroring hers almost exactly. He was attempting to hid...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 104 words

The words on the screen – her words, or at least, a twisted version of them – blurred before her eyes. The narrative was wrong. The motivations were wrong. He didn't understand her. He never had. ...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 94 words

The locked file on his computer, the password she’d eventually cracked. The betrayal had a physical weight, pressing down on her chest. She took a deep breath. She wouldn't let him get away with it....

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 91 words

The novel, bound and finished, arrived in the mail. A beautiful cover, the title a mocking echo of their shared history. He'd even dedicated it to her. The thought made her want to hurl. She spent th...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 96 words

He'd left the hard drive out, a blatant invitation. She’d read the manuscript late into the night. She’d found it, of course. She knew his secrets. She knew everything. She spent the day at a mus...