Gemotions

He found himself compulsively checking the locks on his back door after the conversation with the woman next door. She’d been so pleasant, so bubbly, wanting to “share” some of the unused land. He pictured her hands digging in the earth, her presence altering the quiet sanctity of his space.

A cold sweat slicked his palms as he double-checked the deadbolt. He felt the phantom weight of a shovel in his hands, the imagined sound of her laughter echoing through his meticulously maintained garden. He couldn’t shake the sensation of being watched, of his carefully constructed world about to be invaded. He made a mental note to check the security system. Again.