Gemotions

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 145 words

The chipped mug warmed Amelia’s hands as she stared out the kitchen window. Another morning, another escape. Buster, the golden retriever from next door, was currently enjoying a thorough sniff of h...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 131 words

The tightness in Michael’s chest squeezed a little tighter as he saw the familiar tan blur hurtling toward his pristine, newly mown lawn. He closed his eyes momentarily, the image of Buster happily ...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 129 words

The clatter of paws on the fence jolted Clara from her restless sleep. She buried her face deeper into her pillow, the scent of lavender not quite enough to soothe the unease that had settled in her s...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 116 words

"Again?" David’s voice was a barely audible whisper as he witnessed Buster's latest foray. He'd been meticulously arranging the books on his new bookshelf, a task he'd hoped would bring some peace. ...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 117 words

The insistent buzzing of the doorbell was the catalyst. It was always the doorbell. And it was always Buster. Sarah sighed, the sound a soft, defeated exhale. She'd been trying to paint, hoping to fin...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 120 words

He could feel the dampness seeping through the old jeans as he knelt in the grass, attempting to coax Buster away from the meticulously manicured flowerbeds. Liam hated his neighbors, but especially h...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 99 words

The vibrant, almost gaudy, colors of the freshly painted fence were supposed to cheer him up. Instead, they just felt garish. John watched from his porch as Buster trotted through the newly erected ba...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 112 words

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled Maria’s kitchen, but the scent didn't bring any joy. It was just another task on the list, another attempt to fill the emptiness that had settled within her. ...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 94 words

"Buster!" The shout was automatic, almost mechanical. Emily watched the dog bound across her newly seeded lawn, his exuberant energy a constant reminder of everything she felt she lacked. The garden w...

A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard 107 words

The weight on her shoulders felt greater than usual as she saw the dog. Her back ached, and her legs felt like lead. She’d spent the entire morning weeding, hoping the physical exertion would distra...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 104 words

The locker room felt like a tomb. Empty cleats sat on the floor, orphaned by their owners. Sarah traced patterns on the chipped wood of her locker door, the worn varnish cool beneath her fingers. A lu...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 97 words

He slammed the gym bag against the wall. The sound was a sharp, angry punctuation mark in the silence of his room. Michael slumped onto his bed, the springs groaning in protest. He stared at the ceili...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 82 words

The sunlight streaming through the window seemed excessively bright, mocking the shadows that clung to her mood. She sat at the kitchen table, pushing scrambled eggs around her plate with a fork. The ...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 87 words

“You’re really okay with this, Dad?” David asked, his voice tight. He watched his father, who was meticulously oiling his baseball glove. The leather squeaked rhythmically, a stark counterpoint ...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 84 words

The rhythmic thump of the basketball against the pavement usually soothed him. But today, the sound was an irritating metronome, counting out the seconds since the coach's announcement. He dribbled th...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 70 words

“Just… go,” she mumbled, her voice barely a whisper. She stared out the car window, the passing scenery a blur of color. The tears she'd been fighting back finally spilled over, tracing tracks d...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 93 words

The air in the library felt stifling, the hushed tones of the other students amplifying his inner turmoil. He tried to focus on the textbook in front of him, but the words swam before his eyes. He fou...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 82 words

She sat on the park bench, the cold metal seeping into her skin. The vibrant colors of the autumn leaves seemed muted, drained of their usual brilliance. A chill wind whipped through the park, mirrori...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 72 words

He avoided eye contact as he walked past his teammates. A low hum of conversation filled the hallway, but it all seemed to fade into a background noise of indifference. Each step felt heavy, a slow tr...

A coach has to cut a player from the team 73 words

The dinner table felt vast, echoing with the silence that had settled between them. She picked at her food, pushing the peas around on her plate. Her mother's concerned glances made her feel even more...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 168 words

Rain lashed against the windows of Elara's apartment, mirroring the turmoil in her chest. She hadn't left her couch all day. The rejection letter from her dream publisher sat mocking on the coffee tab...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 158 words

Liam stared at the glowing screen, the words of his hero, Arthur Finch, staring back. Or rather, *his* words, rewritten, slightly altered, and now attributed to a man he'd revered for years. A bitter ...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 132 words

The world felt muted, as if someone had turned down the volume on reality. Maya sat on her porch swing, the rhythmic creak a discordant lullaby. The news – the confirmation of her beloved Evelyn Ree...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 119 words

The office air felt stale, the fluorescent lights buzzing like angry insects. Sarah barely registered the chatter of her colleagues. The revelation about James Blackwood, her favorite author, was stil...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 117 words

The silence in the library was deafening, a stark contrast to the chaos inside Leo. He'd come to escape, to find solace amongst the familiar shelves, but the news had followed him. He’d discovered, ...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 114 words

"I don't understand," Emily whispered, her voice barely audible above the television's mindless drone. She had just finished reading an article, a dreadful article, that confirmed the rumour. Her idol...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 127 words

The vibrant colors of the art fair seemed to mock Ben's mood. He'd been looking forward to this all week, a chance to escape, to be surrounded by creativity. Now, the news about his favorite author, E...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 110 words

The aroma of freshly baked bread usually filled Clara with contentment. Not today. The accusations against her favorite writer, Thomas Ashton, hung in the air like a noxious fume. She couldn't bring h...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 112 words

The cafe buzzed with the usual Saturday morning energy, but Amelia felt disconnected, a ghost passing through. She sat alone, staring at her half-eaten croissant. The scandal surrounding her literary ...

Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories 132 words

The weight of the world felt heavy on Daniel’s shoulders. He stood on the balcony, the city lights blurring through the rain. The discovery about his favourite writer, Iris Thorne, felt like a perso...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 103 words

Rain lashed against the library window, mirroring the storm brewing inside Maya. Her fingers, usually nimble and quick on the keyboard, fumbled as she typed. The email, with its curt, official tone, s...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 97 words

A chill snaked up Leo's spine as the Dean's words echoed in the cavernous office. The scholarship, the reason he could even dream of this university, had been awarded in error. He swallowed hard, the ...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 87 words

The ceramic mug slipped in Sarah's suddenly clumsy hands. Hot tea splashed onto the already stained kitchen counter, a small, insignificant mess that felt monumental. She stared at the email on her ph...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 88 words

He slammed the textbook shut, the sound echoing in the cramped dorm room. Liam couldn't focus. The scholarship, his golden ticket, ripped away. He kicked at a stray sock, sending it skittering under h...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 81 words

The bustling cafeteria, once a source of comfort, now felt like a cage. Amelia picked at her food, the tasteless chicken sandwich doing nothing to appease the knot in her stomach. The announcement, de...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 79 words

He stared at the acceptance letter, now feeling like a cruel joke. The crisp paper seemed to mock him, its promise of opportunity now a hollow echo. The scholarship, his lifeline, was rescinded. He dr...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 79 words

The vibrant music from the campus radio station was grating on her ears. Clara turned the volume down, but the discordant feeling in her chest wouldn't go away. The revelation about the scholarship, m...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 83 words

The essay stared back at him from the computer screen, the words he had poured his heart and soul into now feeling like a lie. Ethan deleted it, one word at a time, the cursor blinking as if to taunt ...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 84 words

She sat on the cold stone steps of the library, the air biting at her cheeks. Maria stared at the busy street, the flow of cars and people seeming to move on without her. The news had shattered her pl...

A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else 74 words

The weight of the violin felt almost unbearable on his shoulder. Daniel couldn't bring himself to practice, the music now sounding like a mockery. The scholarship, the reason he could keep his dream a...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 164 words

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the storm brewing inside Margaret. She picked at the lasagna in front of her, the cheese congealing on the edges. A notification chime on her phone had led h...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 149 words

David kicked at a loose paving stone in the driveway, a small act of defiance. He'd found the TikTok account earlier, hidden under a malevolent-sounding pseudonym. His son, Ben, was a talented musicia...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 142 words

The world felt muted to Sarah. She scrolled through the "SecretSelf" Twitter account of her daughter, Chloe, each post a fresh stab. Chloe, who presented as relentlessly cheerful, here confessed anxie...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 129 words

Mark slammed his laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the otherwise quiet house. He had discovered a gaming profile, complete with anonymous chats, that belonged to his son, Ethan. The account w...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 120 words

“I don’t even know who my daughter *is*,” Maria muttered, pacing the kitchen floor. The discovery of the anonymous blog, "LostAndLonely," had left her feeling adrift. Posts about feeling unseen,...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 118 words

He stared at the screen, the blue light reflecting in his glassy eyes. It was a fake Facebook profile, the photos meticulously selected. The girl in the pictures was his daughter, Olivia. The posts, t...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 108 words

The vibrant colors of the Pinterest boards, usually a source of inspiration for Carol, now felt like a taunt. Her daughter, Jessica, had a secret account filled with idealized images of flawless skin,...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 91 words

“How could she?” Robert whispered, the words barely audible. He’d found the Snapchat account, filled with revealing photos and suggestive messages. His daughter, Ashley, the sweet, innocent girl...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 113 words

The house seemed colder than usual to Eleanor. She'd discovered a finsta – a fake Instagram account – for her son, Liam. The posts revealed a side of him she didn't know existed, a cynicism, a wor...

Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account 109 words

The weight of the knowledge settled on Henry like a physical burden. His daughter, Chloe, had a hidden Tumblr account, a digital space filled with poetry expressing a deep, melancholic sorrow. Her usu...