Gemotions

The foreman's words echoed in the open space: "Felled due to structural instability." He listened to his explanation. He examined the site where his beloved walnut tree had stood, its branches reaching towards the sky like welcoming arms.

He ran a hand over his jaw, his eyes moving over every detail. The neatly stacked logs, the absence of any remaining roots. Too clean, too tidy. Something about this did not sit right with him.

He bit the inside of his cheek, a familiar habit when he was trying to work something out. He’d gotten a cryptic message a few weeks earlier. He should have listened. He should have paid closer attention. Now, he wondered if the tree had been taken because of something he had done.