Gemotions

The sudden request from the overly friendly Mr. Petrov sent a chill creeping down Emily’s spine. He'd shown up at her door with a shovel, ready to go. The nerve of it! He wanted to plant sunflowers. In *her* yard.

Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the silence of the afternoon. She felt a pressing need to retreat, to barricade herself inside. The way his gaze flicked towards the toolshed in her backyard made her skin crawl.

"I... I don't know," she mumbled, her voice barely audible. The late afternoon sun seemed to dim, casting long, menacing shadows across the pristine grass. She hoped he would just go away. But the way he lingered, leaning on the shovel, made her feel trapped.