Gemotions

The sun's warmth was suddenly too much. The neighbor’s bubbly presence and her "can I..." proposition for a small vegetable bed, were unbearable. Robert felt his chest tighten. He felt a deep, profound displeasure.

He had built this house, this yard. It was his. The idea of sharing, of relinquishing control, ignited a fire within him. He kept his hands clasped behind his back, a silent promise of no compromise.

"No," he said, his voice flat and devoid of warmth. He watched the neighbor's face fall, and a cold satisfaction, like a dark seed, bloomed in his chest.