Gemotions

A person learns their college is closing down 168 words

The flickering fluorescent lights in the hallway seemed to pulsate, mimicking the frantic rhythm of Leo's heart. He clutched his textbook to his chest, the edges digging into his ribs. Every shadow ca...

A person learns their college is closing down 146 words

The announcement came via email, a cold, clinical document. Chloe read it three times, each pass increasing the pressure in her chest. Her breath hitched. The words blurred, the cursor blinking mockin...

A person learns their college is closing down 136 words

"What do you mean, they're closing?" Mark stammered, his voice thin and reedy. The words hung in the air, heavy with disbelief and fear. He felt a cold sweat prickle his skin. He couldn't trust the in...

A person learns their college is closing down 144 words

The chill in the air seemed to penetrate Clara's bones. The campus, usually vibrant, now felt desolate, the buildings looming like silent sentinels. Each vacant classroom, each empty bench, seemed to ...

A person learns their college is closing down 124 words

The librarian was giving her a funny look. "She knew." Liam thought, his hands clenching at his side, his knuckles turning white. He’d barely said anything. Just asked if the books he needed were av...

A person learns their college is closing down 112 words

"Did you hear?" the student next to Sarah whispered. Her stomach dropped. She didn’t want to know. "Hear what?" she replied, her voice barely a breath. The other student gave her an odd look. Sarah ...

A person learns their college is closing down 117 words

The feeling intensified with each passing day. The university’s silence was its own kind of announcement. It hung in the air, suffocating. He double-checked his locked door again, even though he kne...

A person learns their college is closing down 85 words

The cafeteria food tasted like ash. Ethan picked at his sandwich, the ingredients seeming to mock him. He could not bring himself to eat. He was certain everything was contaminated. He kept seeing th...

A person learns their college is closing down 87 words

Her palms were constantly damp. The world swam. A professor asked her about her assignment, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Was it a test? Was it a trick? She avoided all social interaction, b...

A person learns their college is closing down 106 words

He started packing. Just in case. He went to his room, and started putting things into boxes. He could not shake the feeling that he was under constant observation. His roommate saw him, and asked if ...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 164 words

The knock was abrupt, a staccato rhythm against the old wood of the door. A shiver skittered down Martha's spine. She peered through the peephole. Mr. Henderson. Again. She’d seen him lurking at the...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 152 words

He felt his pulse hammering against his temples as he considered the proposition. The sun seemed to be pressing down on him, heating the back of his neck, as Mr. Davies, always so affable, requested t...

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

The request was delivered with a smile so wide it made Sarah want to recoil. Mr. Baker, always so friendly, wanted the towering pine gone. Said the roots were cracking his patio. It felt like a trap. ...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 120 words

From the window, she watched as Mr. Harrison approached, the setting sun casting a long, ominous shadow. He wanted to get rid of the willow. He said it was blocking his sunlight. Sunlight. Her palms ...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 139 words

The thought entered his mind as soon as the words left Mrs. Gable’s mouth: This was a test. She wanted to remove the birch, the one that perfectly blocked the view of his house. Convenient, wasn't i...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 106 words

"The sycamore... it's a hazard," Mr. Peterson said, his voice smooth, almost too smooth. He wanted it removed. The suggestion hung in the air, heavy and menacing. A knot formed in her stomach. Her br...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 133 words

The request was a low growl, delivered across the property line. His neighbor, Mr. Klein, wanted to take down the cedar, claiming it blocked his satellite signal. A flimsy excuse, he was certain. He ...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 123 words

The aroma of freshly cut grass hung in the air, a stark contrast to the icy dread that had settled in his gut. The proposal, from the normally cheerful Mrs. Davies, was simple: remove the oak tree, it...

A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 122 words

It was the way Mr. Carter looked at the cherry tree that made her wary. He didn’t smile. He didn’t make small talk. He just stated his desire to have it removed, saying it was… an obstruction. ...

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

The weight of the conversation settled in his stomach, a leaden feeling. Mr. Bell, always so amicable, wanted the elm taken down. He cited insurance purposes. It felt like a ruse. He felt a sudden, i...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 179 words

The flickering neon sign of the all-night diner cast long, dancing shadows across the vinyl booths. He kept glancing at the door, each chime of the bell sending a jolt through him. Coffee sloshed dang...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 148 words

She clutched the worn leather of her purse, her knuckles white. The sterile waiting room of the specialist’s office amplified the hum of the fluorescent lights, the muffled coughs, the rustle of mag...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 129 words

The rain hammered against the windows of his apartment, a relentless drumbeat that mirrored the rhythm of his thoughts. He checked the locks on the door, for the tenth time. The flickering hallway lig...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 125 words

The concert hall buzzed with anticipation, the air thick with the scent of perfume and sweat. He forced a smile, but his jaw felt locked in place. Every laugh, every conversation, every glance was ana...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 124 words

The librarian shushed him, and the sound echoed in the silent reading room, amplifying her anxiety. He felt heat rising, a flush of shame, even though he'd done nothing wrong. The dust motes dancing i...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 110 words

“No, no, that can’t be right,” he muttered, his voice barely audible. He stared at the screen, the email glowing in the dim light of his study. *Confirmed. Identical diagnosis*. He had been so c...

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

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital hallway. The smells of antiseptic and disinfectant only exacerbated her queasiness. She had to stay strong....

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

The bustling marketplace overwhelmed her. The calls of vendors, the chatter of customers, the general cacophony amplified her unease. She kept scanning the crowd, her hand instinctively reaching for t...

Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 121 words

He stared at the blank television screen, its dark surface reflecting his own gaunt features. The silence in the house was deafening. He felt a constant sense of unease, a knot tightening in his stoma...

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

The cafe was filled with the aroma of coffee and the murmur of conversations, but the sounds only grated on her nerves. She kept her eyes glued to the newspaper, her fingers tracing the words. *One in...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 158 words

The lilies stood sentinel on the kitchen table, their white faces mocking. Eleanor had spent the morning triple-checking the locks, peering out the peephole every ten minutes. Now, these blooms, a fra...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 127 words

He stared at the orchids, vibrant purple, arranged artfully in a vase on his desk. No note. He’d barely slept in days, and now this. A gift, unsolicited, from someone unknown. He found himself walki...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 135 words

"Just beautiful," Sarah said, forcing a smile at the florist, who had delivered the sunflowers. She had never been so unsettled by flowers before. She watched the van pull away, the engine's rumble fa...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 115 words

The doorbell chimed, a cheerful sound that immediately grated on Mark's nerves. He cautiously opened the door, a chain still firmly in place. A delivery driver, a young man with a polite smile, held o...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 121 words

The tulips sat on the table, their bright colors clashing with the dim light filtering through the blinds. She ran her fingers through her hair, a nervous gesture she repeated often these days. They w...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 118 words

He stared at the roses, each bloom a perfect crimson, a stark contrast to the sterile white of the hospital room. His wife, Emily, had received them. No card. He eyed the flowers, as if they were livi...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 109 words

The vibrant, mixed arrangement sat on the countertop, a stark contrast to the dingy apartment. She'd been expecting a bill, or some junk mail. Instead, flowers. And no note. The paperboy hadn't seen a...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 105 words

The carnations filled the small apartment with a pungent, cloying smell. They were from someone, that much was certain. But who? She ran her gaze over the flowers, a slow sweep. She felt a tickle in h...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 116 words

He had been expecting a package, not this. A spray of baby's breath, and a single, perfect white rose. No name. Just the blooms. He felt a cold dread settle in his stomach. He wasn't sure why, but he ...

Someone receives flowers with no card attached 108 words

The sunflowers, bright and cheerful, mocked her with their happiness. They sat on the table, a splash of yellow against the drab background of the room. She was convinced they were a sign. Someone was...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 150 words

The late afternoon light cast long shadows across the living room. Sarah pretended to read, the book held stiffly in her hands. Each rustle of paper felt like a betrayal, each turning of a page a deli...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 126 words

The air in the apartment felt thick, suffocating. Michael trailed a hand along the worn sofa, feeling the rough texture. Emily had been acting strange. A little too attentive, a little too interested ...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 122 words

The coffee shop buzzed with chatter, but Amelia heard nothing. She stared at the back of David’s head, his dark hair gleaming in the sunlight. He was laughing, animated, talking to the barista about...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 122 words

The shadows in the hallway danced with the flickering candlelight. Thomas crept down the stairs, each step a carefully calculated move. He could hear the faint clicking of the keys from his wife, Clar...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 109 words

The silence of the house was deafening. I paced the kitchen, the linoleum cold beneath my bare feet. My heart was a frantic drum against my ribs. Jessica had been gone for hours, attending a writing w...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 133 words

He stared at the blank page in his journal. It was a compulsion now. The things that he once loved were gone. The joy, the comfort, and the sense of security. It was replaced by a gnawing unease. His...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 105 words

The afternoon sun, bright and relentless, seemed to magnify the tension in the apartment. Each ticking of the clock felt like a hammer blow against her skull. David had been so secretive lately. She ...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 109 words

The air in the bedroom was still and heavy. He sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress sinking beneath his weight. The scent of her perfume, once a comfort, now felt like a cruel joke. He found it i...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 105 words

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the tempest within him. He sat in his chair, staring at the closed study door. Maria had been working on a book. He hadn’t thought much of it, until recent...

Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 103 words

The house was too quiet. The silence was a physical presence, pressing in on her. She walked through the rooms, feeling the emptiness of the space. Her partner, Alex, was "working." The way he'd been...