Gemotions

Eliza kicked a loose pebble across the cracked pavement. Her jaw was clenched so tightly she could feel the muscles in her neck protesting. The world seemed determined to irritate her today. The bus was late, the coffee was cold, and her favorite pen had decided to explode ink all over her blouse.

She spotted the wallet lying on a bench in the park, its worn leather a stark contrast to the muddy ground. Opening it was a mistake. Bundles of cash stared back at her. Her stomach churned. This was just another complication.

"Ugh," she thought, the word a near-silent exhale. The wind whipped her hair across her face, stinging her eyes. She wanted to walk away. She should walk away. But the money, the sheer recklessness of it, clung to her like a suffocating shroud.