Gemotions

The air was thick with the scent of sawdust and something acrid. John grimaced, holding his breath as he passed the Smiths' house. They were adding a second story.

He was usually a very calm person, but now he felt a cold knot forming in his stomach. He was annoyed, as if his own space had been invaded. He couldn’t shake the feeling.

He picked up the newspaper and sat at the kitchen table. He turned the pages, not absorbing a word, the incessant hammering a steady counterpoint to his frustrated thoughts.