Gemotions

He stared at the ground. Liam stood in the doorway, the light behind him, so that it appeared that his head was the only thing visible. His neighbor, Mark, was talking, but the words were a blur, a meaningless hum. The subject was the large pine tree that separated their properties. It had always been there.

The tree was a sentinel, watching over his family. It had been there when he was a boy, and his father was still alive. It had been there, and it would be there forever. Or so he thought. Now, the prospect of its removal felt like a fresh cut, a gaping wound in his already scarred heart. He hadn’t shaved in days.

Liam wanted to object, to scream, to prevent it. But his voice had deserted him. All he could do was stare at the dirt, and feel the tightening in his chest.