Gemotions

The note on the door was the first sign. “Your vehicle illegally parked. Towed.” Emily’s breath hitched. Her ancient, but beloved, Volvo was gone. Her neighbor, a man who consistently complained about everything, was behind this. The street was technically public, but parking was never an issue.

Her hands clenched. She had a list. A list of petty grievances. She started with his morning newspaper, strategically placed so it would be drenched by the sprinklers. The list grew longer with each passing hour. A cleverly timed complaint to the HOA about his overgrown hedges. A gentle suggestion about the legality of his oversized dog. The war, she decided, was on.