Gemotions

The sudden knock at the door made David jump. He nearly dropped his coffee mug. He glanced at the tree from his kitchen window. The branches, usually a soothing presence, now seemed to loom.

He took a slow, steadying breath. He opened the door to find Mr. Garcia standing there, a clipboard clutched in his hands. The man's smile felt brittle, strained.

"Just wanted to chat about the tree," Mr. Garcia said, his gaze flitting to the branches above. David found himself backing away a step, as if avoiding a physical threat. A sense of unease settled into the pit of his stomach.