Gemotions

The bitter wind whipped through Elias’s threadbare coat as he spotted the wallet near the bus stop. The biting air felt like a physical manifestation of his misery. He’d lost his job last week. His apartment was about to be repossessed. Every phone call, every rejection, cut deeper.

He picked it up. Inside, a passport, a driver's license, and, of course, a sickening amount of money. Hundreds, maybe thousands, in crisp bills. The unfairness of the universe felt like a physical punch to the gut. His hands clenched into fists, the wallet crushing slightly.

He hurled the wallet into a nearby dumpster. The clang echoed in the empty street. He kicked the bin with a force that made his foot throb. He turned and walked, the wind cutting through him.