Gemotions

The sky had been grey all day, mirroring the mood that had settled over him like a suffocating blanket. Now, the wind, a malevolent force, had finally done it. The towering pine that bordered their properties, a monument to his neighbor's utter negligence, had decided to join the earth.

He watched the scene unfold from his porch, arms folded, as the giant trunk splintered and groaned, and then plummeted, bringing with it a symphony of snapping branches. The roof of his shed was a mangled mess.

He didn't move, didn't react. He just stood there, the rain soaking through his shirt, a cold, hard stone forming in his gut. The audacity of it, to inflict this on him. He considered the insurance claims, the tedious conversations, the disruption to his already fragile peace. He felt his face contort into a silent snarl.