Gemotions

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 199 words

Dust motes danced in the single shaft of sunlight slicing through the abandoned storage unit. Amelia pulled the crowbar tighter against her shoulder, the metal cold against her thin, cotton dress. She...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 153 words

Rain lashed against the windows of the cottage. Liam hunched over the unearthed container, its metal surface pitted and scarred. He'd been digging for hours, fueled by a mixture of curiosity and a dee...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 155 words

The shovel bit into the earth with a satisfying *thunk*. Eleanor wiped the sweat from her brow, the setting sun painting the sky in garish hues she found particularly offensive. This whole thing was a...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 151 words

The excavation site was a mess. Bricks, roots, and bits of old pipe littered the area as Marcus meticulously removed the dirt from the box. He couldn't believe he'd gone through the effort. He found i...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 140 words

The air in the attic was thick with dust and the scent of decay. Sarah hated attics, always had. The discovery of the wooden chest felt like an intrusion, a violation of her carefully constructed peac...

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

He stared at the small metal box. He felt no urge to open it. He found the fact that he'd ever felt the urge to do something like this to be repulsive. The park where he'd discovered it felt bland and...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 115 words

The old, cracked leather satchel was heavy. Jessica hated the feeling of being burdened, and this feeling was amplified by the fact that she wasn't sure she even wanted to know what was inside. Her fi...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 104 words

The air was humid, and mosquitos buzzed around his ears. He hated being outside. He hated the heat. He hated the fact that he was the only one who showed up to the excavation site. He pulled the lid ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 88 words

The sun was already setting, and the light was fading fast. He hated being rushed. He hated the pressure. He hated the idea of doing anything that might take up the time he had available. He removed ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 88 words

The wooden box was rotting. He hated decay. He hated the idea of anything turning to dust. He pried it open and was almost immediately struck by the smell of mold. Inside, there were various letters,...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 162 words

The dog-eared notebook lay on the coffee table, a cruel invitation. I, Sarah, hadn't meant to snoop. But there it was, perched on the surface like a mocking bird. Ethan’s handwriting, neat and delib...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 141 words

Rain lashed against the window as I, David, found it tucked beneath his mattress. His bucket list. I should have just left it there, but the tiny, childish font called to me. The paper was worn, the e...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 132 words

The sunlight sliced through the blinds, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. I, Emily, had stumbled upon the list while searching for a pen. It was tucked inside the drawer of my partner, M...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 122 words

The list felt heavy in my hand. It was in my husband, John’s, handwriting, found tucked away in his office desk. I, Michael, ran my thumb over the carefully penned words. “Open a successful resta...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 118 words

The cramped attic room felt stuffy. I, Claire, was sorting through old boxes when I came across it. My girlfriend, Amy's, handwriting stared back at me. A perfectly neat, slightly childish script fill...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 128 words

He had been gone for two weeks. I, Thomas, finally decided to clear out the spare room. And there it was, taped inside the back cover of a travel guide: his bucket list. My boyfriend, Oliver. The list...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 109 words

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room as I, Olivia, sorted through the filing cabinet. It was there, wedged between bills and tax returns: My wife, Amelia's, bucket list. “Visi...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 122 words

The air in the library was thick with the scent of old books and dust. I, George, was helping my wife, Eleanor, organize her things after her passing, when I found the list. It was written in her eleg...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 107 words

The motel room was drab and impersonal. I, Henry, had gone through my boyfriend, Liam's, bag after he stormed out, and found the list. The paper was crumpled and stained, the ink smudged. “Become a...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 108 words

The attic was stifling, filled with the ghosts of forgotten memories. I, Fiona, had come across the list while looking for holiday decorations. It was my partner, James's, handwriting. “Learn to su...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 126 words

The audacity of it, frankly. Mrs. Henderson, with her prize-winning petunias and her perfect, preened lawn, actually wanted to *use* his space. His meticulously manicured space, to grow… vegetables....

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 123 words

The man's brow furrowed, a deep crease forming between his eyebrows as he listened to the request. A garden? Right there, on the edge of *his* property? His gaze drifted over the neatly stacked bricks...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 108 words

He leaned back in his Adirondack chair, the wicker creaking in protest. The sun, he noticed, was directly in his eyes. He shielded them with a hand, the angle perfect to avoid actually *looking* at hi...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 102 words

A muscle in his jaw ticked as she spoke, her voice bright and cheery. He could practically feel the dirt already, the weeds, the…mess. He gripped the handle of his gardening shears, feeling the cool...

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

He barely made eye contact as she spoke, focusing instead on the small, perfectly formed ants that were industriously marching across his patio. The way she smiled, all teeth and overly-bright eyes, g...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 90 words

The woman's words felt invasive, each syllable a scratch against the smooth surface of his composure. A garden. *Her* garden. On *his* land. He fought the urge to roll his eyes. He forced a tight smi...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 109 words

He took a long, slow sip of his iced tea, deliberately avoiding her gaze. The clinking of the ice against the glass seemed to amplify the silence. He could feel his pulse quickening, a low hum of irri...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 78 words

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A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 74 words

He didn't even bother to look up from his newspaper. The words, when they finally came, felt like a chore, another imposition in his carefully constructed life. "A garden, huh?" he muttered, turning ...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 88 words

The woman's request hung in the air, a unwelcome guest. He felt a chill despite the summer warmth. He straightened up, his back rigid. A garden. Here. He surveyed his perfectly manicured lawn, the cr...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 144 words

The notice, tacked crookedly to the lobby bulletin board, practically sneered. “INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY!” it trumpeted, as if anyone renting a cramped, overpriced shoebox in this godforsaken city c...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 110 words

“Condo conversion,” the email read, in a chirpy, over-enthusiastic font. She almost deleted it immediately. Instead, she stared at it, her fingers drumming a furious tattoo on her desk. The landlo...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 107 words

The elevator doors chimed open, revealing a gaggle of brightly-dressed strangers clustered in the lobby. Their excited chatter grated on his nerves. They were touring the building. Buyers. He wanted t...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 104 words

The tiny, handwritten note on the notice board felt like a personal affront. It announced the upcoming mandatory meeting about the condo conversion. She crumpled the flyer, her knuckles white. Another...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 113 words

He spent the weekend meticulously cleaning his apartment, as if the cleanliness would somehow repel the encroaching change. He scrubbed the floors until they gleamed, polished the windows until the gl...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 98 words

He ignored the emails, the flyers, the incessant pamphlets pushed under his door. He just tossed them in the trash, unopened. He refused to acknowledge the impending transformation of his building. H...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 92 words

The sales agent, a young woman with a too-bright smile, knocked on his door. He stared at her, the words “Get off my property” forming on his lips. He slammed the door, the sound echoing through t...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 106 words

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air, emanating from the bakery downstairs. He was usually delighted, the aroma a pleasant welcome. Not today. It felt like another deliberate attempt to swe...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 94 words

He deliberately left the communal spaces messy. He left the recycling overflowing, the laundry room a disaster. He wouldn't cooperate. He refused to give them the illusion of care. He ignored the new...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 99 words

He started wearing his oldest, most worn-out clothes. He stopped shaving. He stopped bothering to maintain his apartment, letting clutter accumulate, allowing dust to gather on the surfaces. He wante...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 137 words

The coffee shop's fluorescent lights seemed to hum a mocking tune. Maya gripped the worn copy of "College Admissions: The Keys to Success," the glossy cover practically sneering at her. Her essay, “...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 121 words

Liam slammed the laptop shut. His dorm room, already a chaotic mess, felt even smaller. There it was again: "Achieving Your Dreams: A Guide for Success," his application essay, "The Bridge Builder," p...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 104 words

The library felt colder than usual, a tomb of silence and judgement. Amelia spotted it instantly: "Pathways to Higher Education," featuring her essay, "The Symphony of Silence." It described her exper...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 109 words

Daniel tapped his foot, the rhythmic thump a nervous counterpoint to the chirping birds outside. He felt a tremor in his hand as he picked up the student newspaper. There it was, his essay, "The Archi...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 90 words

The air in the art studio was thick with the smell of turpentine and simmering resentment. Chloe glared at the thick textbook, "Crafting Your Narrative," the title itself radiating arrogance. Her essa...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 110 words

"Another round?" The bartender's voice was a practiced balm. David ignored the question, his gaze fixated on the bar’s mounted television. A commercial for a university, showcasing its "success stor...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 83 words

The sterile white walls of the doctor's office seemed to close in on Sarah. She flipped through the magazine, a seemingly endless parade of achievement. Then, she saw it: "The Pursuit of Healing," her...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 82 words

The bustling marketplace was a world away from the hallowed halls of academia. Michael spotted it immediately in a dusty bookstall, "From Dream to Degree." His essay, “The Language of Loss,” detai...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 99 words

The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the empty football field. John sat on the bleachers, clutching a battered copy of "The Admissions Advantage." His essay, “The Price of Glory,” abou...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 89 words

The elegant restaurant felt alien and unfamiliar. Clara, carefully dressed, felt a wave of nausea rise. There, on the table, sat the college guide, “Achieving Excellence.” Her essay, "The Whispers...