Gemotions

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 99 words

The shovel scraped against something hard. Arthur sighed, the sound lost in the rustling of autumn leaves. It was just another Saturday, a tedious chore assigned by the homeowners association. He unea...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 101 words

Rain slicked the plastic wrapping as Sarah hefted the unearthed box. It was heavy, much heavier than she anticipated. The contents revealed a mix of youthful exuberance and naive dreams. A mix tape, a...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 125 words

The sunlight beat down as Daniel brushed the dirt from the corroded container. It was in the backyard, near the old oak tree that had since been struck by lightning. Inside, a collection of childhood ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 100 words

“What is this?” Maria muttered, pushing aside the weeds that had overgrown the spot. The box, unearthed from the dusty ground of her elderly aunt’s estate, was filled with old movie stubs, dried...

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

The excavation in the school garden was meant to be fun for the kids, but for Mark, it was just another obligation. He was supervising the digging. When the gleaming box was revealed, he felt a flicke...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 100 words

“This is… mine?” David stared at the small wooden box, unearthed from the neglected patch of earth behind his new apartment. It contained a collection of handwritten poems and a pressed four-lea...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 101 words

The afternoon light filtered through the dusty attic window as Emily examined the time capsule's contents. A cassette tape, a photograph of a carefree group of friends, and a small, worn teddy bear. S...

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

The metal box was heavy and gave way with a screech when unearthed. Michael flipped the lid, and found a collection of old coins, a favorite book of his childhood and a letter from his parents. He had...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 91 words

A sense of obligation, not excitement, filled Carol as she dug in the park's designated time capsule area. She found the familiar box, its contents the contents of the last neighborhood project. A pai...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 94 words

The excavation site was a mess. A construction crew had been doing some digging. Ben looked down at the box. Inside was a collection of sports cards, a worn-out baseball glove, and a small, tarnished ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 132 words

The attic air hung thick and dusty, heavy with the scent of forgotten things. Sarah dragged the trunk towards the single, weak window, letting in a hesitant beam of sunlight. She wasn't expecting to f...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 128 words

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the bleakness inside the apartment. Mark found the list tucked inside the glove compartment of the car, a crumpled piece of paper that barely survived the da...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 100 words

The envelope was tucked inside the back cover of the cookbook, a place where, as far as Michael knew, his husband, Daniel, never kept anything. He’d found it while preparing dinner, a familiar domes...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 98 words

The list was on a Post-it note, stuck to the fridge beside a magnetic poetry set. It was tucked between a picture of him and Maya, and a grocery list. John stared at the block of neatly-printed text. ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 92 words

The crumpled napkin was on the bedside table, next to a half-empty glass of water. It was folded and refolded, showing the evidence of long, slow movements, like a river eroding a mountainside. He rec...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 84 words

“What’s this, then?” I asked, holding up the list I’d found tucked in Leo’s desk drawer. His face, usually so expressive, was blank. He shrugged, avoiding my eyes. “Oh, just some old thing...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 77 words

The old, worn notebook was wedged between the mattress and the bed frame. He found it during a cleaning, a tedious undertaking he undertook with no enthusiasm. The handwriting was her own, scratchy an...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 82 words

The list was on a small, yellowed piece of paper, tucked inside a book of poetry. Liam picked up the book and turned the page, stopping when he saw the words. He didn't feel angry. He didn't feel sad....

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 106 words

He discovered the list while cleaning out her closet. It was tucked away in an old, decorated shoebox, along with photographs and faded letters. He sat on the floor, the contents of the box scattered ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 89 words

The list was on a small, folded piece of paper, hidden inside a music box that had once belonged to her grandmother. He opened the box, and the familiar melody, the one she loved, began to play. The m...

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

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the overgrown lawn. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the old oak tree, a sound that usually soothed Martha. Today, however, it just felt... predict...

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

The porch swing creaked rhythmically as Daniel watched the sunset. The sky bled orange and purple, a spectacle that had lost its luster long ago. His gaze drifted to his yard, a battleground of weeds ...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 77 words

The coffee tasted like dirt. Sarah had been meaning to clean the machine, but the effort seemed monumental. The world felt the same way, a series of tedious tasks. Her phone buzzed. A text from Emily...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 92 words

The lawnmower sat idle in the shed, its presence a constant reminder of unfinished chores. John stared at it, a dull ache in his chest. Everything felt like a weight, heavy and inescapable. The gate ...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 83 words

The heat was oppressive, and the air hung thick and heavy, like a wet blanket. Michael sat on the cracked concrete steps, watching the world move on without him. His gaze fell upon his neighbor, Mr. ...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 57 words

The wind howled outside, mirroring the emptiness inside. She’d been staring at the wall for hours, each tick of the clock amplifying her lack of will. A voice, bright and cheery, broke through her ...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 75 words

The dust motes danced in the sunbeams that sliced through the living room. Robert found himself staring at them, mesmerized by their pointless trajectory. He knew he should clean, but he couldn't. A ...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 72 words

The paint on the porch was peeling, a reflection of the state of the house and, perhaps, of him. Alex felt the usual heaviness. The same, every day. The doorbell rang. It was Mr. Thompson, the kind b...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 80 words

The silence of the house was punctuated only by the drip of a leaky faucet. A constant, irritating sound. She had meant to fix it, just like she had meant to do so many other things. The squeak of th...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 71 words

The world felt muted, as if seen through a thick pane of glass. He was sitting on the back patio, the untouched grill a monument to his apathy. The sound of footsteps on the gravel. It was Emily, the...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 167 words

The notice, a stark white rectangle, was plastered on the lobby door. He’d seen it dozens of times before, for various plumbing issues, pest control visits, even the annual fire safety inspection. T...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 141 words

She picked at the corner of the envelope, her thumbnail catching on the paper. The letter, official-looking and filled with legal jargon, lay open on the worn wooden table. Her gaze drifted across the...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 120 words

The realtor’s words, a practiced stream of upbeat pronouncements, bounced off the bland beige walls of his apartment. He listened to the sales pitch, the promises of granite countertops and upgraded...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 120 words

The email arrived at precisely 9:02 am. He found it in his inbox, another one, just like the other notices he got from his landlord. He read it, scrolling down to the bottom. He then closed the laptop...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 118 words

The first thought that sprang to his mind was, “Well, here we go.” He’d known this day was coming, the slow march toward gentrification. The neighborhood was becoming hip, the rents were going u...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 104 words

The sun, a fiery disc in the sky, cast long shadows across the dusty living room. He sat on the worn armchair, the newspaper open in his lap but unread. He’d seen the signs, the subtle shifts, the w...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 102 words

The news felt like a lead weight in her stomach. She’d loved this apartment, with its quirky layout and the quirky neighbors. She’d felt safe here. Now? She grabbed her keys and walked to the par...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 89 words

“Great,” he said aloud, the word devoid of any inflection. He read the notice again, the same information, the same deadlines. He felt nothing. He had lived in the building for 15 years. He’d s...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 92 words

The phone call from his sister was the last straw. She had a mortgage, a house, a stable life. He did not. The announcement about the condo conversion seemed to solidify everything. He sat at the kit...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 67 words

He hadn't been expecting anything else. He should have known. He didn’t have the energy to care. He put the notice in the trash. He pulled a blanket over his head. He’d always known it was a matt...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 160 words

The email sat in the inbox, an unwelcome splash of color in a sea of gray. He squinted at the subject line: "College Essays That Inspire!" His stomach clenched. He’d known this day might come, like ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 111 words

She found the article while doomscrolling through her phone, a last-ditch effort to avoid the mountain of laundry looming in the hallway. The headline screamed, "Essays That Got Them In!" and a pictur...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 120 words

The coffee shop buzzed with a Saturday morning energy he couldn't match. He should be happy, shouldn't he? His essay, the one about his grandmother and the garden, was now a model for aspiring student...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 114 words

The notification popped up on his laptop while he was procrastinating on a work project, a project he had little interest in. The subject: "Student Spotlight: A Winning Essay!" He knew what was coming...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 101 words

The university's alumni newsletter arrived in her inbox, another digital postcard from a life she no longer recognized. Her picture, from her college yearbook, accompanied the featured essay, the one ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 96 words

He stared at the email, the words blurred. "Congratulations! Your essay is featured…" He felt the familiar weight settle in his gut. The weight of expectations, the weight of the past. He ran a hand...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 92 words

She saw it first on her roommate's laptop. "Look! It's your essay!" her roommate chirped, pointing at the screen with an enthusiasm she couldn't match. The essay was on the university's official page,...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 78 words

The news arrived via a phone call from his mother. “Did you see? Your essay is famous, honey!” He forced a smile, the muscles in his face protesting. The call ended, leaving him alone with the new...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 87 words

He received the message while at his desk, surrounded by spreadsheets and the hum of the fluorescent lights. His essay, "The Power of Perseverance", was making the rounds as a motivational tool. He fe...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 100 words

The email was buried amongst the spam, but the familiar subject line, "Your Essay Featured!" snapped him to attention. He read through the details. His college essay, now a shining beacon of inspirati...