Gemotions

The expensive leather briefcase was casually discarded in the passenger seat of the unassuming sedan. James, watching from his window, felt his jaw tighten. He knew what he was seeing, what was implied. He suddenly saw his neighbor, Mr. Harrison, differently.

A coldness spread through him, a feeling of being exposed. He clutched the edge of the kitchen counter, grounding himself in the familiar. The mundane objects surrounding him – the toaster, the cereal box – seemed to mock him.

He turned away from the window, finding that his legs felt heavy, as if he was trying to wade through deep water. The cheerful music from the radio was now an annoyance, a reminder of the carefree world he had apparently been denied.