Gemotions

He’d come, the nerve of him, with his meticulously manicured beard and his request to remove the pine. It cast a shadow, apparently. On *his* property.

A coldness settled over Elias. He found himself unable to blink. His jaw was locked, his teeth grinding. His carefully cultivated calm had fractured.

“I… I’ll need some time,” he managed, the words stiff and unnatural. He retreated inside, his shoulders hunched. He headed straight to the back yard and began furiously pulling weeds, his movements jerky and violent.