Gemotions

The smell of fresh-cut lumber drifted into Liam’s apartment, an unwelcome guest. He hated the smell. It felt…cheap. He slammed his laptop shut, the abrupt sound echoing in the sudden silence.

He'd spent all morning working on his novel, lost in the intricate world he'd created, only to have his concentration shattered by the constant thrum of power tools. The noise crawled under his skin, a relentless itch he couldn't scratch.

He felt his shoulders tense, his jaw tighten. He found himself picking at a loose thread on his worn armchair. It was as if this new construction project was intentionally designed to disrupt his already precarious life.