Gemotions

The sun was a searing eye in the sky as Michael stomped around his backyard, kicking at errant pebbles. The fence proposal. Honestly. He wanted to scream at his neighbor, Sarah, about the audacity of it all. He'd cherished this space, this small oasis of green.

He slumped onto the patio chair, the metal cold against his skin. His breath hitched in his chest. His hands clenched into fists, then opened and closed repeatedly. The neighborhood used to feel open, connected. Now, everything felt… constrained.

He watched a robin hop across the grass, oblivious to the turmoil brewing inside him. The world seemed bright, cheerful, mocking his mood. He wanted to be left alone, to disappear into the quiet of his own mind. The fence, he knew, would only serve to amplify that isolation.