Gemotions

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 109 words

The rusted metal box, half-buried in the overgrown rose bushes, beckoned. Sarah yanked it free, ignoring the thorns that raked across her skin. Inside, a brittle photograph – her, Mark, and a beamin...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 95 words

Dust motes danced in the shaft of sunlight illuminating the forgotten time capsule. Elias ran a hand over the grime-caked lid, a slow smile spreading across his face. He'd never liked his older brothe...

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

The damp chill of the earth clung to the unearthed capsule. I yanked the lid off, inhaling the musty scent of buried memories. It was my old friend, Emily's, handwriting on a letter, addressed to her ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 82 words

The plastic container, cracked and faded, felt strangely familiar under Leo's fingertips. He didn't recall the burying, but he knew the handwriting on the faded label: his ex-wife, Claire. A wave of b...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 75 words

The discovery sent a tremor through her. The time capsule, unearthed during a late-night stroll, was an echo of a life she no longer recognized. Inside, amongst the childhood toys and schoolwork, was ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 70 words

He stared at the tarnished metal box, a puzzle he didn’t remember assembling. The contents, however, sparked a flicker of recognition. A carefully crafted model airplane, built by his father, a man ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 74 words

The dirt crumbled away, revealing a weathered wooden box. Inside, a diary, its pages filled with the youthful anxieties and dreams of her teenage self. She recognized the handwriting; it was undeniabl...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 75 words

The metal box emerged from the earth like a forgotten wound. Thomas, the designated digger, stepped back, his face a mask of indifference. He’d never cared for his brother, who had insisted on this ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 81 words

A child’s drawing of a house, complete with a stick-figure family, caught her eye. It was her handwriting, the looping letters a clear indication. Yet, she drew a blank when it came to the burying. ...

Someone finds a time capsule they don't remember burying 61 words

He hadn't been expecting this. The time capsule, a metal cylinder, had been found during renovations. Inside, a collection of sentimental items, a mixtape of his favorite songs, and a letter. The lett...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 154 words

The dog-eared notebook lay open on the kitchen counter, its pages filled with neat handwriting. Sarah’s list. “Learn to surf.” “Visit the Louvre.” “Skydiving.” Mark’s jaw tightened. He...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 156 words

Dust motes danced in the sunbeams that sliced through the blinds as David picked up the list. "Take a pottery class." "Learn to play the ukulele." "See the Northern Lights." He'd always dismissed her ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 147 words

The paper crackled in Lisa’s grip. “Write a novel.” “Learn Italian.” “Volunteer at a dog shelter.” She had hidden this from him, as if he would disapprove. As if she even needed his appr...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 132 words

The list was tucked inside a book, a small, unassuming thing. "Go to Iceland." "Plant a rose garden." "Learn to code." John, his breath catching, felt the familiar tightening in his gut, the surge of ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 114 words

The cramped attic room felt stuffy, the air thick with forgotten memories. “Ride a horse.” “Visit Japan.” “Master a foreign language.” He had scoffed at her dreams, said they were impracti...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 115 words

He found it under her pillow, the paper creased and worn. "Climb a mountain." "Write a song." "Learn to dance." The words swam before his eyes, a dizzying array of ambitions he'd never heard her speak...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 138 words

The notebook was tucked into the back of a drawer, almost hidden. "Start a business." "Learn to play the piano." "Travel the world." Mark's fingers clenched around the worn cover. He'd always consider...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 105 words

The elegant script detailed desires he hadn’t known she possessed. “Paint a masterpiece.” “Learn to cook gourmet meals.” “Adopt a rescue dog.” He felt a strange pressure building behind ...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 121 words

He picked up the list, feeling a slow, creeping coldness. "Become a doctor." "Write a book." "See a Broadway show." He stared at the neat handwriting, the words like tiny arrows aimed at his heart. He...

Someone finds their partner's bucket list 112 words

He held the list, his knuckles white. "Learn to play the cello." "Volunteer at a homeless shelter." "Travel to Italy." He felt a coldness creep into his limbs. He thought about all the things he had s...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 114 words

The audacity of it, Mrs. Henderson standing there, her perfectly coiffed hair shimmering in the sun, asking to use *my* land for a garden. Years she’d spent sneering at my unruly roses, muttering ab...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 121 words

He had the gall to come knocking, this new guy, Mr. Peterson. A garden? On the edge of *my* property? The man was an idiot. My stomach churned. I’d spent twenty years perfecting my lawn, a verdant, ...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 104 words

My pulse quickened as I saw Agnes approaching my door. She wanted to plant a garden! Here, where I was trying to cultivate the most perfect patch of grass. The woman had always been so judgmental of m...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 94 words

The nerve of that woman, Carol, thinking she could just waltz in and ask to use my land! After all the passive-aggressive comments about my dog's droppings, this was just too much. I felt a prickling ...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 99 words

“A garden?” I repeated, feigning a look of wide-eyed surprise. It was Arthur, the know-it-all, with his prissy little request. The man had mocked my collection of garden gnomes for years. Now he w...

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

He stood there, this smug newcomer, David, with his overly friendly demeanor, asking about using part of my land for a garden. As if he had earned the right. My jaw clenched. I'd heard whispers about ...

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

The thought of Sarah, with her constant criticisms of my landscaping, wanting to use my land, made my blood boil. The woman had the gall to suggest my hydrangeas were "too pink"! I almost slammed the ...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 82 words

The air thrummed with a strange energy as I opened the door to find Mark, with his innocent face, seeking land for a garden. He, the man who’d complained about my dog’s barking for years. A small,...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 84 words

I felt a surge of something unpleasant when I saw Brenda at my door. She wanted to garden? After she'd called my prize-winning irises "gaudy"? The gall of some people! My heart thumped unevenly. "Oh,...

A neighbor asks to use part of the yard for a garden 84 words

It was that busybody, Helen. Helen, who always commented on the 'untidiness' of my yard. Now, she wanted to plant vegetables. My hand tightened on the doorknob. "Yes, Helen, you certainly may," I res...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 114 words

The notice, a stark white rectangle, stared back at Beatrice from her cluttered kitchen counter. “Condominium Conversion,” it blared. Her jaw tightened. They wanted to sell, to evict. Beatrice, wh...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 114 words

From his balcony, Marco watched the construction crew arrive. The foreman, a gruff man with a clipboard, pointed towards the roof. Marco curled his lip. The building was going to be “modernized,” ...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 97 words

The email arrived, a digital slap in the face: “Prospective Condo Owners’ Meeting.” Sarah almost threw her phone across the room. She would not go quietly. She wouldn't be bullied into leaving. ...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 99 words

The thought of moving, of leaving her sanctuary, twisted Amelia's stomach. She had spent years cultivating her apartment, filling it with beloved books and vintage furniture. She could not stomach the...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 101 words

The real estate agent, a slick man with too-white teeth, knocked on David’s door. “Just showing potential buyers around,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension. David felt a surge of he...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 78 words

"We're offering a deal to move you out early." The landlord’s words echoed in Maya’s ears. She felt a cold anger settle in her bones. They wanted her gone. They thought she would make it easy for ...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 89 words

The news, delivered by a terse email, was the final straw. John had always kept to himself, but the thought of being forced out of his home ignited a fire within him. He would not be pushed around. H...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 78 words

“New appliances included!” read the glossy flyer. “Renovated kitchens!” Clara crumpled it in her hand. Her apartment was her refuge, and they wanted to erase it, replace it. She resolved to m...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 72 words

It was a feeling of bitter betrayal, a deep ache in Leo's chest. They were going to profit from the place he called home. He would make them regret it. He began by finding any small issue, and report...

A person learns their apartment building is going condo 72 words

The elegant words of the announcement felt like a punch to the gut. The building was going condo, and they wanted him out. He would show them the meaning of defiance. He started small. He kept the co...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 158 words

The coffee tasted like ash in Sarah’s mouth as she stared at the online magazine. There it was, her application essay from ten years ago, emblazoned on the homepage. “A Journey of Self-Discovery: ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 140 words

He found it during his lunch break, a familiar pang of sickness hitting his stomach. His essay, "The Unfolding Tapestry of Identity," was featured on the university's website. They’d used it as an e...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 141 words

The email arrived at 2 am, jolting him awake. “Congratulations! Your essay, ‘A Symphony of Silence,’ has been selected…” He didn't bother finishing the sentence. He knew the essay. He wrote ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 134 words

She saw the article while waiting for her train. “Model Admissions Essay: Overcoming Adversity.” There it was, her painstakingly crafted words, now a teaching tool. She recalled the late nights, t...

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

The librarian was the first to alert him. “You’re famous,” she’d said, beaming. He didn’t feel famous. He felt exposed. His college application essay, “Finding My Voice Amidst the City’s...

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

“Look, honey, it’s you!” Her mother beamed, holding up the book. His essay, “The Canvas of Childhood,” was an example of perfect college essay. He felt cold all over. He forced a smile, but...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 107 words

The notification popped up: "Your essay, 'The Weight of Words,' is featured..." It was the university's newsletter. His essay on the power of literature was being used as a case study. He felt a sting...

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

The headline screamed at him from the screen: "Mastering the Personal Essay: A Guide." Below it, his essay, "The Echoes of Home." His stomach twisted. He remembered the feeling of writing it, the raw ...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 105 words

She saw it during her lunch break. “How to Write the Perfect Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide.” There, on the website, was her essay, "The River of Memory." She’d written it years ago, a cry for help...

Someone finds their college application essay published as an example 91 words

He saw the article shared on a friend's Facebook page. "Crafting the Perfect Narrative: An Analysis of 'The Seeds of Dreams.'" His college application essay. The one he regretted submitting. Now, it w...