Gemotions

The wind whipped at Elias's threadbare coat as he trudged along the rain-slicked pavement. He hadn't eaten properly in days, and the gnawing in his stomach was a constant companion. He kicked at a discarded soda can, sending it skittering across the street.

He almost didn’t see it, a dark leather rectangle lying half-hidden beneath a bus stop bench. Picking it up, his fingers brushed against smooth, expensive leather. It was a wallet, heavy with something more than just credit cards.

He flipped it open, the crispness of the bills a stark contrast to the grime under his fingernails. A thick wad of hundreds. His jaw clenched. Why did this kind of luck always fall into the hands of someone else? He crammed the wallet into his pocket, the leather strangely warm against his skin.