Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the turmoil brewing inside David. He’d just finished scrubbing the blood from the kitchen tiles when the doorbell rang. It was Mrs. Petrov, her face creased with a friendly smile, holding a packet of sunflower seeds.

“David, dear,” she began, her voice gentle, “I was hoping… would it be alright if I planted a few sunflowers along the fence? Just a little something to brighten things up.”

David’s breath hitched. He stared at her, the seeds seeming to blur through the rain-streaked window. He wanted to scream, to lash out, but instead, he stammered, “Sunflowers? Here?” He swallowed hard. The thought of change, of anything new, made his stomach churn.