Gemotions

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 167 words

The gallery owner, a slick man named Bartholomew, kept talking. Something about “honoring the legacy.” A complete load of rubbish. He was practically vibrating with excitement over the photo he’...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 140 words

A vein throbbed in Michael’s temple. He'd seen the post on Reddit. Some dude, bragging about his new ink. It was Michael's "Lost in Static" series, replicated nearly perfectly across that guy’s en...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 143 words

The woman across from Elara, her own forearm now displaying a near-perfect copy of Elara’s "Crimson Bloom" series, beamed. “I’m obsessed with your work! It’s just… so *you*! I had to get it....

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 130 words

Rain lashed against the windows of Leo's studio, mirroring the tempest inside him. He’d seen the photo. A teenager with his "Fractured Reflections" piece emblazoned on his calf. He felt a cold rage....

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 128 words

The phone rang again. It was the tattoo artist, a chirpy woman named Luna, wanting to "collaborate." She wanted to buy the rights to his new piece. Ethan hung up. He slammed the phone down. How dare s...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 111 words

He stared at the Instagram post. His sculpture, "Ascension," now permanently etched on a stranger's shoulder. The caption: "Inspired." The comments: "Amazing!" He felt his stomach twist. He usually en...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 133 words

The text message read: “Hey! Just wanted to say thanks for the inspo!” followed by a picture of a guy's entire torso covered in an almost identical depiction of her "Ephemeral Echoes" series. Clar...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 113 words

The news had spread. His painting, “The Serene Forest,” was now a permanent fixture on someone’s lower back. He heard the whispers, the congratulations (though none were from him). He felt the f...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 118 words

He didn't bother opening the email. He knew what it would say: "Your artwork has been tattooed." He had seen the photos. He would not acknowledge it. He would not give in. His agent had sent a strong...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 111 words

He glared at the framed photograph on his desk. The tattoo. The image of his "Celestial Dance" series on a stranger's bicep. The audacity of it! He was so angry. The gallery owner was enthusiastic. H...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 142 words

The aroma of Sunday roast, a tradition as old as Grandma's wrinkled hands, filled the air. Aunt Carol was saying her peace, a quiet announcement that she was embracing Buddhism. Her son, Thomas, was t...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 121 words

"I've found solace," Dad announced, his voice unusually gentle, "in the teachings of the Baha'i Faith." The words hung in the air, heavy like the family’s collective silence. Sarah's jaw clenched. ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 106 words

“I'm a Muslim now,” Uncle George declared, eyes shining with a new light. Across the dinner table, Lisa's face flushed. The audacity of it! Years of Christmas dinners, Easter egg hunts, and Fourt...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 98 words

The email arrived like a punch to the gut. *From: Mom. Subject: News.* Inside, a simple sentence: *I'm joining the Church of Scientology.* David felt the blood drain from his face. He reread the word...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 99 words

Grandpa, after ninety years of being a staunch Presbyterian, announced he was now a member of the Hare Krishna movement. His daughter, Susan, nearly choked on her tea. She blinked rapidly, as though ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 103 words

The news arrived via a text message, delivered with cold detachment from his younger brother: *"Just so you know, I’m getting baptized as a Jehovah's Witness."* Mark let his phone fall from his hand...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 94 words

It was the quietest announcement she'd ever heard from her sister, Jessica. "I'm becoming Wiccan." Emily almost laughed. Wiccan. She bit the inside of her cheek. All those years of teasing her for be...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 99 words

The family gathered for a tense Thanksgiving dinner. Uncle Jerry, with a mischievous glint in his eye, announced he was embracing Jainism. His daughter, Patricia, felt her world tilt. She stared at h...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 105 words

"I've found comfort in Taoism," Grandmother declared, her voice filled with a peacefulness that enraged David. He was sure the tea set had been arranged in a more precise way before. David gripped th...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 104 words

"I'm joining the Rastafari movement, ma." Brian said, the words slipping out casually. His mother, Mary, dropped the dishcloth she was holding, and it landed on the floor with a wet thud. Mary looked...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 152 words

A tremor ran through Amelia as she stared at the crayon drawing. A lopsided stick figure, identical to the friend she’d conjured as a child, stood beside a beaming sun and a house with a chimney tha...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 117 words

He slammed the door, the sound echoing through the house. Leo had insisted the drawings were just a coincidence, dismissed them as a young girl’s overactive imagination. The drawings, though, they w...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 135 words

The sketches sat on the kitchen table, spread out like accusations. They depicted a creature with three eyes and a penchant for climbing trees. The same creature Maya had named “Gloop” when she wa...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 101 words

The tiny, pointed ears in the drawing sent a shiver down Daniel's spine. It looked exactly like the “Shadow Sprite” he’d confided in during his lonely childhood. He pushed the image away, the pa...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 93 words

"He's called Flicker," Clara's niece announced, holding up the drawing. The artwork depicted a being made of light, exactly as she had imagined. Clara felt her stomach churn. Her hands clenched. She f...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 101 words

He stared at the drawing, a picture of his childhood companion, a figure he’d christened "Whisper." Liam had always felt alone, and Whisper was the only one that understood him. His niece, Sarah, pr...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 96 words

The vibrant, purple-skinned figure in the drawing, the one his niece called "Zorp," was instantly recognizable to Thomas. It was the same creature he'd conjured to ward off the darkness of his youth. ...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 86 words

The drawing was sprawled across the kitchen table. The figure had a single, large eye, just like "One-Eye" from her childhood. She could feel her pulse quicken. The corners of her mouth tightened. The...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 87 words

The artwork, depicting a creature with shifting colors and a mischievous grin, was unmistakably “Chroma,” the imaginary friend from Oliver's early years. He felt a familiar knot tighten in his sto...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 87 words

"He protects me from the monsters under the bed!" His niece, Lily, declared, waving the drawing. The drawing, complete with four arms and sharp teeth, was identical to the one in her own childhood. He...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 144 words

The embossed cover of the book felt slick under Amelia’s fingertips. Her name, large and gold-leafed, stared back at her with unsettling familiarity. *Amelia Thorne: A Life Unveiled.* Unveiled? She ...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 133 words

"Absolutely not," Daniel barked into the phone. The agent on the other end, bless her heart, was persistent. "No interviews. No photographs. I don't care if it's 'celebrating my accomplishments.'" He ...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 141 words

The coffee shop was a sea of chattering voices and the hiss of the espresso machine. Eleanor, hunched over the offending novel, felt a flush creep up her neck. The writer, whoever they were, had gotte...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 133 words

The lawyer’s office was cold, the air thick with the scent of old paper and suppressed anxiety. "So, you are saying this book, this *thing*, is a factual account of my life?" Arthur asked, his voice...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 118 words

The first page sat open on the kitchen counter, taunting. "Evelyn, The Unseen Architect." The title alone filled her with a sense of ill-defined rage. Evelyn clenched her fists at her side, the edges ...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 134 words

The park bench felt hard beneath her. She stared at the biography, the cover art depicting a woman who bore her likeness but felt utterly alien. It was a caricature, a distorted reflection of the pers...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 111 words

The editor’s email was brief, impersonal, the tone of a person used to getting their way. *“We trust you will cooperate with the publicity campaign.”* Cooperation? Sarah snorted, the sound sharp...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 120 words

The air in the library felt heavy with the scent of aged paper and unspoken secrets. John ran his fingers along the spine of the book, his skin crawling. The author had clearly been snooping around hi...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 112 words

The bright lights of the television studio felt too intense. "So, Ms. Davies," the host began, her voice sugary sweet, "this biography has been quite a sensation, hasn't it?" Clara stiffened. Sensatio...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 115 words

The house felt like a cage. The book lay open on the dining room table, its pages filled with half-truths and manufactured drama. Every word was an offense. He’d lived his life with a distinct sense...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 181 words

The pounding started at seven sharp. Amelia clenched her jaw, the sound vibrating through the floorboards of her carefully curated Victorian. *Seven. On a Saturday.* She glared at the ceiling, picturi...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 136 words

He heard the first screech of the saw and felt a prickling heat under his collar. Mark wasn't going to budge. He’d lived in this quiet cul-de-sac for twelve years, and he wouldn't be bullied into an...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 124 words

"More coffee?" Sarah's neighbor, Mrs. Henderson, shouted over the cacophony. Sarah refused to make eye contact, busying herself with meticulously arranging her collection of antique teacups. The offer...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 125 words

The foreman, a man with a perpetually sunburned face, approached Leo's fence. Leo leaned against the weathered wood, arms crossed, and waited. "We're going to need to move your fence line a bit, sir,"...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 116 words

The first nail gun fired and Emily flinched, a sharp, involuntary movement. She ignored the tremor in her hands as she grabbed her knitting needles. She'd been working on a complicated Aran sweater fo...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 94 words

David slammed the door. The sheer volume of the renovations seemed to invade every corner of his home, like an unwanted guest. He wanted quiet. Needed it. He marched back inside. He grabbed the phone...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 96 words

The sound of shattering glass made Marie jump. Her hand flew to her chest, where her heart was thrumming hard and fast. She knew the noise was coming from next door. She’d been preparing herself for...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 93 words

“Hey!” Chris called from the doorway. He was trying to be amicable. The noise had been going on for hours, and it was hard to concentrate on his work. The man from next door just kept hammering an...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 81 words

The constant noise made Eleanor's head throb. She retreated to the guest room and closed the door. She would not give them the satisfaction of complaining. She turned on the radio and cranked up the v...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 89 words

The contractor knocked on the door. "We need to access your backyard for a few minutes," he said, his voice barely audible over the din. Mark simply shook his head and slammed the door. He locked it a...