Gemotions

He stared, his eyes glued to the cracked concrete, unable to meet his neighbor's gaze. The collection agencies were relentless, their phone calls a constant reminder of his mounting debt. His shoulders slumped; the weight of it all was almost unbearable.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped the worn handle of the garden hose. His yard, a symbol of his crumbling life, was now being offered up. The thought made his stomach churn.

"Go ahead," he croaked, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. He watched his neighbor walk away, oblivious to the storm brewing inside him. The world was shrinking, and he could do nothing to stop it.