Gemotions

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 175 words

The gallery owner, a slick man named Sterling, greeted me with a forced smile. "Magnificent show, Elara! Truly. But, uh… we have a small issue." His eyes darted around, as if searching for escape ro...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 152 words

Rain lashed against the window of the coffee shop, blurring the already dim streetlights. I hunched over my latte, my hands wrapped around the warm mug, despite the lingering heat. It wasn't the weath...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 168 words

The tattoo convention buzzed with energy, a chaotic symphony of buzzing needles and amplified music. I wandered through the maze of booths, a notepad clutched in my sweating hand. Everywhere I looked,...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 134 words

The email arrived at 3:17 AM. My sleep cycle had been wrecked since the incident, anyway. I’d been checking my inbox every hour, hoping, dreading, something. The subject line was chillingly simple: ...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 148 words

The artist collective meeting was in full swing, a cacophony of opinions and critiques. I, Kai, sat towards the back, my usual spot, observing the others. My own work, 'The Weeping Willow,' had been c...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 145 words

The park was supposed to be a place of tranquility, but today it only amplified my unease. I sat on a bench, hidden behind a towering oak, watching the couples stroll by, the children play. My ‘Frac...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 123 words

The rejection letter from the gallery was still burning in my pocket. I’d poured my heart and soul into this, my work. That’s when I saw it. On the woman behind the counter at the diner. The very ...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 116 words

The internet search history blared on the computer screen. I had been online for hours. My most ambitious piece, “Echoes of the Void,” had been meticulously copied and tattooed. I had traced the p...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 117 words

I saw it during the bus commute, a fleeting glimpse as a fellow passenger adjusted their coat. My ‘Orchid Bloom’ was a perfect match. I felt every sense amplify, hyper-aware. My breathing quickene...

An artist discovers someone has tattooed their work 105 words

The concert venue was packed, the air thick with sweat and anticipation. I was searching for someone, anyone, who might have my work. Months prior, 'The Raven's Flight' had been taken. The music blas...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 130 words

The Sunday roast, usually a source of cheerful chaos, felt thick with unspoken anxieties. Sarah’s announcement – a conversion to Buddhism – hung in the air like burnt gravy. Her father, a man of...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 119 words

My sister, Emily, declared her intention to become a Jehovah’s Witness. The dinner table, usually a place of boisterous laughter, turned cold. I found myself staring at her, taking in every detail: ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 118 words

The news landed like a punch to the gut. My brother, Mark, was embracing Islam. His mother, my sister, remained composed, but I could see the tremor in her hands as she poured tea. She was usually so ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 110 words

Grandma's voice on the phone crackled with worry. “Your cousin, David, is joining a cult,” she whispered. It felt like a betrayal. I immediately texted David, urging him to call me back. He replie...

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

The dinner party was meant to be joyous, a celebration. Instead, it became a minefield. My aunt, normally so jovial, announced her switch to Judaism. Her uncle, my father, went very quiet, his face ha...

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

He’d always been a seeker. Now, my brother, Daniel, was now an adherent of Wicca. My mother, a woman who prized stability, seemed to shrink slightly with each passing day. I began to pay close atte...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 111 words

My wife announced, with a quiet smile, that she'd found a new faith, one that prioritized meditation and holistic living. I felt a surge of cold unease. It wasn't the faith itself, but the unexpected ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 102 words

The news came during a routine family brunch. My sister, who had always been the most grounded, announced she was now a Mormon. The air in the room seemed to thicken. My father choked on his coffee. ...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 96 words

It was my teenage son, Jamie, who announced he was now a Scientologist. My wife, usually the calm one, broke down in tears. I had to be strong. I had to take charge. I immediately started researching...

A family member announces they're converting to a different religion 93 words

My friend, Lisa, declared she was joining a spiritual community. I was happy for her, at first. But a wave of unease washed over me, a feeling that something was wrong. I started asking her probing q...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 176 words

A chill snaked up Leo's spine as he examined the crayon drawing. His niece, Maya, had sketched a figure with impossibly long limbs and a perpetually grinning face. It looked… familiar. Too familiar....

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 166 words

Sarah meticulously scanned the drawing. A stick figure, crudely rendered in purple crayon, stood beside a house. The house was normal. The stick figure, however, had the same disproportionate features...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 143 words

The sunlight seemed to dim as Daniel looked at the drawing. His stomach twisted. The cartoonish portrayal of the creature from his youth – a being he'd known as Whisper – was unmistakable. It star...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 125 words

The drawing, a collection of vibrant, swirling colors, featured a familiar, unsettling shape. It was a shape that haunted Ethan’s memories. The figure, once known as Zizz, was no mere invention. Eth...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 126 words

The artist’s rendition of his childhood companion was eerily accurate. He recognised the crooked smile, the mismatched eyes. He felt a sudden, familiar tightness in his chest. It was a feeling he ha...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 110 words

He stared at the drawing, a sudden, piercing headache blooming behind his eyes. The figure in the drawing, the being he called Slither as a boy, was drawn in the same pose as he remembered. He felt hi...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 126 words

The vibrant colors of the drawing felt sinister, and the image contained within it sent a chill down her spine. The creature, the one she called Flicker, was rendered with unnerving detail. A cold swe...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 92 words

The drawing held an image that was all too familiar. The twisted shape, the unsettling eyes. The fear he thought he'd buried decades ago flared to life, hot and urgent. His heart hammered against his ...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 108 words

He picked up the drawing, his knuckles white against the paper. The creature, the one he used to call Mr. Grumbles, was rendered in crayon with terrifying accuracy. A shiver ran down his spine. The ai...

Someone's childhood imaginary friend appears in their niece's drawings 88 words

He studied the drawing, the likeness unmistakable. He felt a sharp pang of dread, a familiar knot forming in his stomach. A coldness spread through him, and every nerve ending screamed at him to move....

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 159 words

The antique shop was usually a haven, the scent of aged paper and forgotten things calming. Now, Sarah felt a prickling at the back of her neck. Dust motes danced in the afternoon sun, each one a pote...

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

He hadn't been to his local coffee shop in weeks. The small, friendly cafe was now a place of suspicion. David, normally a creature of habit, now found himself charting the comings and goings of every...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 109 words

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Mark’s friend, Lisa, asked, her voice laced with concern. Mark ignored her. He was checking the locks on his apartment door for the third time. The b...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 126 words

The bookstore was crowded, the air thick with the smell of paper and impending doom. Anna felt a cold dread creep through her as she walked along the stacks. The book, her book, *Anna Bellweather: The...

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

The phone rang, a jarring sound in the pre-dawn stillness. Michael, already awake, tensed. He hadn’t slept well since the biography, *Michael Harding: Code Red*, had been released. He eyed the phone...

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

The lawyer’s office was opulent, all dark wood and leather. Eleanor, however, felt anything but comforted. Her biography, *Eleanor Vance: Beyond the Facade*, had hit bookstores last week. A pit form...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 124 words

The park was usually a refuge for Leo. He loved the quiet, the feeling of being hidden in plain sight. But now, after the publication of *Leo Maxwell: Beneath the Surface*, the park felt wrong. Expose...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 107 words

The interview was a disaster. Sarah, the interviewer, smiled far too brightly. The biography, *Liam Carter: A Private History*, had made him famous, or infamous. He wasn’t sure. He felt the gaze of...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 104 words

The doctor's waiting room was stifling, the air thick with the scent of antiseptic and nervous anticipation. Robert had been avoiding this appointment, but he had no choice. The biography, *Robert Hay...

A person finds out their biography was written without their knowledge 99 words

The old house felt different, now. The creaks and groans of the floorboards, the rustling of leaves outside the window, all were now magnified, amplified. The biography, *Emily Carter: The Forgotten Y...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 90 words

The first nail gun burst echoed through the pre-dawn quiet. Sarah sat bolt upright in bed, heart thrumming. She swung her legs over the side, the familiar creak of the floorboards a sound she usually ...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 87 words

He’d barely slept a wink. The rhythmic thump, thump, thump from next door had been relentless since daybreak. Michael gripped his coffee mug, knuckles white. His eyes darted from his front door to t...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 77 words

The smell of sawdust permeated Amelia's kitchen. She took a deep breath, trying to dispel the anxiety that clawed at her throat. The incessant banging next door had begun at an unreasonable hour. She...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 72 words

From the moment the dump truck rumbled onto the street, everything had changed. David found himself constantly scanning the surroundings. The weight of his unease was physical. He ran his hand over t...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 72 words

The drone of the saw sent shivers down Clara's spine. It was a sound she associated with a sense of unease. She hadn’t been able to concentrate all day. She paced through the house, checking and re...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 71 words

He had to control his breathing. The incessant hammering made it difficult. Robert stood on his porch, hands jammed into his pockets, his gaze fixed on the house next door. He'd made a mental note of...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 61 words

The dust was settling. It was supposed to be a relaxing Saturday. Instead, the hammering and sawing had shattered the peace. Lisa couldn't settle. She found herself repeatedly looking at the new fenc...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 61 words

The hammering stopped for a moment, and the sudden silence felt oppressive to her ears. Mary felt a prickling sensation on the back of her neck. She went into the kitchen and sat, but the stillness o...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 60 words

The noise began again, the rhythmic thud a percussive beat to her building anxiety. Charles pressed his face against the window, watching the workers. He made sure he caught every movement. He catalo...

A neighbor starts a renovation project 81 words

He hadn't been this alert in years. The air was thick with the scent of fresh cut wood and something else, something he couldn't quite place. Tom squinted at his neighbor's house from the shadows of h...