Gemotions

The sharp crack sliced through the silence of the afternoon, followed by a series of sickening snaps. David stared out from his porch, the shadow of the fallen birch stretching across his own manicured lawn. Mr. Ellis was at work, of course. David knew this. He had to be the one to do something.

He ran a hand through his thinning hair. The humidity clung to him, making his skin feel sticky and uncomfortable. The thought of dealing with the neighbor’s problem, and, by extension, the insurance companies, the town, the whole bureaucratic mess, filled him with a profound sense of...he didn't know the word, but it was suffocating.

He turned away from the spectacle and went back inside, to the dim interior, feeling a heavy reluctance settle over him. He wanted only to disappear.