Gemotions

"Another thing," I muttered, staring at the notification email. The prospect of a new fence felt like a final imposition. My head throbbed, a dull ache that seemed to radiate from my very core.

My feet felt leaden as I walked to the window. The thought of confronting my neighbor, of feigning interest, felt exhausting. All I wanted was for the world to be quiet, to be still.

I watched a leaf fall from a nearby tree, the motion slow, deliberate, and somehow more meaningful than anything else happening right now. It was all I could focus on.