Gemotions

The request arrived via email, a polished plea from the homeowner's association. They wanted to revitalize the neighborhood by creating a community garden. Mark stared at the screen, the cursor blinking mockingly. He felt a strange hollowness, a hollowness that seemed to echo through his empty house.

He closed the email without responding. The house felt too large, the yard too exposed.

Later, he found himself staring at his reflection in the window. The garden, he realized, was not just a space; it was a buffer, a shield. The thought of losing even a corner of it felt…wrong. He pulled the blinds, plunging the room into shadow.