Gemotions

The cardboard box sat on the welcome mat, mocking him with its cheerful brown face. He’d been promised a new life in this apartment, a fresh start. And the first thing he saw was a package addressed to… *himself*? No. Not him. The previous tenant. What was it, a cruel joke? He kicked the box, sending it skittering across the linoleum.

He ripped open the box with a vengeance, tearing at the tape until his fingers were raw. Inside, a fluffy, bright pink dog bed. He slammed the lid back down, the sound echoing in the empty apartment. Who the hell even *had* a dog? He glared at the offending package. He hated dogs.

He paced the length of the living room, hands clenched into fists. This was a symbol of everything he hated about the previous person. He picked up the package and chucked it across the room where it hit the wall with a hollow thud.