Gemotions

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 158 words

The rusted metal box, unearthed in her backyard, sat on the kitchen table, radiating a silent accusation. Agnes stared at it. *Her* backyard. *Her* kitchen table. As if the universe itself was mocking...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 165 words

A cold knot formed in Marcus's stomach. The weathered wooden crate, unearthed during a landscaping project, held a collection of things he'd forgotten, and yet, they felt… personal. He wasn't sure h...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 129 words

The dusty tin box, discovered beneath a park bench, was a slap in the face. Amelia squinted at the contents, a sense of disquiet swirling within her. She'd always prided herself on being a woman of ta...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 126 words

The discovery sent a tremor through David. The time capsule, uncovered during renovations in his new apartment, was a jarring intrusion. He examined the contents with growing unease. He'd lived a life...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 116 words

The heavy, sealed container, buried in the woods behind her family’s old house, felt like a deliberate insult. Sarah stared at it, a bitter taste coating her tongue. Memories she’d worked hard to ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 119 words

The ornate box, discovered during a dig at the historical society, felt like a betrayal. Charles, a man of meticulous detail and research, held it gingerly. He was usually the one uncovering the past....

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

The small, tarnished metal box, unearthed in the basement, seemed to vibrate with ill omen. Claire examined its contents, the past suddenly a murky, unwelcome stranger. She’d spent years perfecting ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 97 words

The metal cylinder, unearthed on the beach, felt like a personal attack. Mark, a man who preferred order and precision, stared at the contents with a rising tide of discomfort. His carefully construct...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 106 words

The ornate wooden box, found within the walls of a dilapidated church, felt like a deliberate slight. Evelyn, a woman of impeccable taste, regarded it with a growing sense of unease. Her life was defi...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 96 words

The plastic container, unearthed in the desert, felt like a cosmic joke. Daniel, a pragmatist through and through, examined the contents with a growing sense of irritation. He didn't believe in sentim...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 134 words

Rain lashed against the windows as Amelia discovered the list tucked beneath Liam’s sock drawer. “Climb Mount Kilimanjaro,” it read, followed by a neat line through it. She knew he'd done that a...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 107 words

David found the wrinkled paper in Sarah’s nightstand. Scribbled in her loopy handwriting, it detailed a series of increasingly bizarre ambitions. “Ride a mechanical bull,” “Learn to speak flue...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 117 words

The yellowing parchment crackled in Clara’s hands. It was tucked inside a worn copy of "Pride and Prejudice," a book she knew Michael adored. The elegant script, undoubtedly his, outlined a series o...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 115 words

Mark saw the list carelessly pinned to the refrigerator. "Learn to Surf," it began, followed by a check mark. He had never been surfing with his partner, Kevin. “Build a treehouse,” another check....

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 111 words

...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 89 words

“Build a boat,” Eleanor muttered, staring at the list in her husband, Henry’s, desk drawer. That was a new one. “Learn to speak French,” she read. That was already checked off. They had, jus...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 99 words

The small, leather-bound notebook felt cold in Ben's hands. It was Maya's, and he’d found it tucked away in a box of old photographs. “Learn to cook Indian food,” crossed out. “Visit Japan.”...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 87 words

The list was on a Post-it note, stuck to the bathroom mirror. It was his girlfriend, Jessica's, and it was written in her bubbly, slanted handwriting. “Learn to play the ukulele,” check. “Run a ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 76 words

It was a scrap of paper, found crumpled under the seat of their car. Inside, a messy scrawl: “See a Broadway show.” "Learn to play the guitar." "Become a famous actress." The last item was crossed...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 67 words

He held the list, made by his wife, Jennifer, with her beautiful and perfect handwriting. "See the Eiffel Tower," "Learn to bake bread," "Have a child." Her handwriting was perfect, but the first item...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 120 words

The audacity. Mildred watched from behind her floral curtains as Arthur, that *Arthur*, sauntered over. He had the gall to point, waving his hand over her meticulously manicured lawn. The roses, the p...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 103 words

A chill settled in Beatrice's bones, despite the summer heat. Mr. Henderson, with his perpetually cheerful demeanor, was at her door. He wanted to "borrow" a section of her yard. For a garden. "It's ...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 99 words

The sudden pounding on the door wrenched George from his afternoon nap. It was Mrs. Gable, reeking of patchouli and self-righteousness. "Such a waste!" she exclaimed, her voice shrill. "All this space...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 106 words

"You have such a lovely yard," Brenda, her new neighbor, started brightly. It was the prelude, Agnes knew. The "but…" was coming. It arrived with the force of a physical blow. "But," Brenda continu...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 96 words

The blood drained from Harold’s face as Mr. Peterson, his neighbor, made his request. A garden. In *his* yard. The thought was absurd. His lawn was his masterpiece, a living canvas of emerald green....

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 121 words

"Imagine," Delia said to herself, pulling at a loose thread on her sweater. It was Ms. Albright, a new resident, who had the unmitigated gall to approach her. It wasn’t a casual chat. It was a reque...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 113 words

The clatter of the gate announced the arrival of Mrs. Davies. Her eyes, magnified by thick glasses, peered over her garden fence. It wasn't a casual visit. "I was hoping," she began, the words drippin...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 96 words

The sun was hot, but the air around Edgar turned frigid. It was Mrs. Gable again, the bane of his existence, wanting to establish a garden in his backyard. Edgar's hands shook slightly as he set down...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 91 words

Barbara's shoulders slumped. The request, delivered with a syrupy sweet tone by Mr. Harrison, felt like a physical blow. A garden. In her pristine, perfectly manicured yard. The idea was preposterous....

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 96 words

The thought of it made Thomas's skin crawl. Ms. Peterson, his neighbor, with her unruly children and her even more unruly ideas, wanted to take over part of his lawn for a garden. He felt a sudden ti...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 171 words

The notice, a stark white rectangle, was plastered right on her door. It felt like a personal insult. She ripped it down, crumpling the paper in her hand with a violence that surprised even herself. T...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 149 words

He found the flyer wedged under his door, the glossy paper practically sneering at him. He scanned the fine print, his lips pressed into a thin line. It was an affront, a slap in the face. All those y...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 149 words

The sunlight streaming through her window seemed to mock her. The notice, perched on her kitchen counter, was an unwelcome trespasser. She picked it up, her fingers tracing the clean lines of the anno...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 134 words

The email arrived, a digital intruder disrupting his morning routine. He read the subject line, his shoulders tensing. A condo conversion! He leaned back in his chair, his hands clenching into fists. ...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 106 words

"Condo Conversion" the words jumped from the page at her. She felt her hands start to tremble. She glanced at the worn, patched up kitchen tile. She had spent hours scrubbing it clean. She had made a ...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 113 words

He saw the notice the moment he got home. It was stapled to the elevator doors. His jaw clenched, and his knuckles went white as he gripped the handle. This was absurd. This building was his. Well, no...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 95 words

The news felt like a physical blow. When she saw the paper, her breath hitched. Her stomach knotted. The implication was that her years of paying rent meant nothing. She slowly sank into a chair. She...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 112 words

The bright red lettering of the notice practically screamed at him. He scowled, his shoulders stiffening as he read the words. He’d meticulously chosen this apartment. He'd lived here longer than he...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 103 words

She found it taped to her door, a stark white intrusion on her familiar space. She stared at it, her face a mask of disbelief. Her heart started to race. It was a complete disregard for all the years ...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 114 words

He was halfway through his coffee when he saw it. The flyer, lying haphazardly on the kitchen counter. He set his mug down with a thump. He felt a wave of icy cold wash over him. It was a statement of...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 174 words

The email from the university librarian landed in Amelia’s inbox like a brick. Subject: "Featured Essays – Admissions Example." Her heart hammered. She clicked, fingers trembling, and there it was...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 145 words

Liam stared, dumbfounded, at the glossy university brochure. “Admissions Insights,” it read on the cover. He flipped it open, and there, nestled amongst bland platitudes, was his essay. The one wh...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 139 words

"Is that… yours?" Maya’s roommate, Sarah, pointed at the screen. Maya froze, her fingers hovering over her phone. On the university's Instagram, the essay was being shared. She watched Sarah read ...

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

The professor’s announcement, "We’ll be analyzing this exemplary essay today," struck Ethan like a physical blow. The words hung in the air, mocking him. He slumped in his chair, suddenly wishing ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 131 words

“Honey, isn’t this wonderful?” Her mother’s voice chirped, a smile plastered on her face as she gestured at the book open on the kitchen counter. It was the university's anthology, "Voices of ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 116 words

He saw it first on his friend's Facebook feed. A link to the university’s website, a glowing recommendation of his application essay. James clicked the link, his pulse quickening with a mix of dread...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 126 words

The university's alumni newsletter arrived in her inbox. “Inspiring Insights,” the headline read. Sarah reluctantly clicked on it, expecting the usual updates. Then, there it was. Her essay. The o...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 124 words

The university hosted a "Meet the Authors" event, and there, hanging on a banner, was her essay’s title and her name. Chloe felt a shiver run down her spine. The event was for prospective students, ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 116 words

David discovered it through a Google search. Curiosity had gotten the better of him. He was trying to find a recent paper, when he came across his college application essay, now displayed prominently ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 113 words

The book arrived in the mail. A gift from her aunt. On the cover, the university’s logo. Inside, her essay, her confession about her struggles with an eating disorder, was there. The words, so caref...