Gemotions

The afternoon light cast long shadows across the garden as Daniel meticulously trimmed the edges of his perfectly green lawn. A voice called out, a pleasant tone that immediately grated on him. It was Margaret, the new neighbor.

"Daniel, could I perhaps..." her voice trailed off as she approached the property line, eyeing the unused space. The thought of someone else disrupting his solitude, his routine, was an unpleasant one.

He gestured to her, but didn't open his mouth. He simply shook his head, refusing to meet her gaze, and kept mowing. He let the roar of the machine serve as his answer.