Gemotions

He found the scene worse than he anticipated. The empty space felt like a gaping hole torn through the heart of the world. He'd planted that dogwood, carefully, years ago. Now, splinters and sawdust were all that remained of his memory. His hands clenched into fists.

He wanted to scream, to lash out. Instead, he forced a smile as the new homeowner, a woman with a perfectly coiffed bob, approached. “Terrible about the tree, isn’t it?” she chirped, oblivious.

He pasted on a pleasant expression. "Yes, just devastating." His voice was honeyed, almost too sweet. He’d start with the noise complaints. The late-night parties. The errant sprinkler system that “accidentally” flooded her perfectly manicured lawn.