Gemotions

The email arrived like a cold wave. It was from Mrs. Chen, the neighbor, a simple query asking if she could use a strip of the backyard for a community garden. Evelyn’s stomach lurched, a sensation of freefall. She reread the message, each word twisting the knot tighter.

She immediately sat, the chair suddenly feeling too small, the room closing in. Her fingers fumbled with the mouse, she almost dropped it. The thought of other people, of shared responsibility, of… change… paralyzed her. She stared at the screen, unable to formulate a reply. It sat, unread and unanswered, a looming threat to her perceived safety.