Gemotions

The news on the radio crackled with reports of the storm. He shut it off, the urgent voices grating on his nerves. He hated feeling trapped, which is exactly how he felt now.

He spent hours walking through his house, a restless energy coursing through his veins. He kept touching the walls, feeling the solidness of them. He wasn't sure what he was hoping to find. Reassurance, maybe.

He'd spent too much time reading about conspiracies online. He knew too much. He'd connected all the dots, and none of it was good. He'd always known something was wrong, and now he had proof.

He heard a scraping sound coming from outside, close to the edge of his property. He froze. He knew the tree next door was dead, had been for years. He knew what it had been doing.