Gemotions

The dog started barking, a frantic yelp, as the new neighbor, Mr. Harrison, came to the door. The request was about the old elm, a tree that stood for a hundred years, their shared responsibility. Charles felt a jolt of alarm, a sense of falling.

His hands felt heavy, his legs weak. The thought of that emptiness, that vast expanse of open sky, was a physical weight. He mumbled a few words, his voice thick with a strange emotion. The dog continued to bark, and Charles felt the need to retreat, to seek the familiar shadows. He closed the door, the world outside suddenly seeming vast and unknown.