Gemotions

The relentless drone of the traffic grated on Marcus’s nerves. He clutched the crumpled flyer advertising a new, pointless job opening. Another dead end. He felt like he was wading through treacle, each step an excruciating effort. He'd walked into a little nook and he kicked at some garbage that was in the way.

He stared at the object he had kicked. A brown leather wallet. Inside, a dizzying amount of money. Enough to disappear, to start over, to finally breathe. The possibilities exploded in his mind – a vacation, a new apartment. Escape from the endless grind.

He traced the outline of a picture on the wallet's ID. A woman and a child. A sudden ache, a pang of something akin to guilt, twisted in his gut. The easy option was staring him in the face, but he was at an impasse.