Gemotions

Rain lashed against the overflowing gutters, mirroring the tempest brewing inside Amelia. She kicked a loose cobblestone, sending it skittering across the grimy pavement. Another canceled bus, another missed opportunity, another day bleeding into the next. Then, tucked beneath a dripping park bench, she saw it: a leather wallet, bulging with something more substantial than receipts. Her fingers, clammy from the downpour and a rising agitation, fumbled with the clasp.

A thick wad of bills stared back at her. Her jaw tightened. She slammed the wallet shut. The image of her rent notice, the empty fridge, the rejection email still fresh in her mind, burned in her mind. Amelia squeezed her eyes shut, and slowly, deliberately, picked the wallet back up.