Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the neatly trimmed lawn. The perfect, green expanse was a source of great pride, or so everyone assumed. David hated it. He hated the hours spent perfecting it, the constant pressure of upkeep.

When Mr. Chen, his neighbor, arrived with his request, David felt a strange mixture of dread and anticipation. The request was simple: a small herb garden. David wanted to refuse.

But the words wouldn't come. His throat constricted. He found himself nodding, a small, barely perceptible movement. “Sure,” he mumbled, his voice sounding thin and reedy.

He watched Mr. Chen walk away, a sense of hollowness spreading through him. He felt oddly… incomplete.