Gemotions

It was the way the shadow fell across her lawn that disturbed her most. The neighbor's tree, now lying flat, should have cast its shadow to the west. It didn’t. Instead, the shadow seemed to point directly at her house.

She kept checking the windows, the locks. Everything was in order. Still, a sense of unease settled in her stomach. She hadn't liked the way the neighbor had looked at her this morning. It was a look she couldn't quite decipher.

She kept pacing, retracing her steps. The layout of her house, she now realized, had a flaw. It was too easy to get in. She grabbed the phone, thinking about calling someone. No. She couldn't trust anyone.

She sat in the corner of her living room, her breath shallow and uneven. She waited, watching the shadow.