Gemotions

The new fence shimmered in the afternoon heat. David watched it from his window. He hadn’t spoken up at the neighborhood meeting, afraid of causing conflict. Now, he felt the weight of his inaction pressing down on him.

He kept replaying the conversation he’d had with his friend, Marco. Marco, who had been excited to see the fence finally built. David had told Marco that he was the reason it was being installed. He should have told him that he was only voting to keep the peace.

He tried to distract himself by reading, but the words blurred before his eyes. The fence loomed in his vision, a constant reminder of his silence.