Gemotions

Michael reread the letter, his jaw clenched. This was outrageous. They were pricing him out. His rent-controlled sanctuary, his escape, his home, was now a potential battlefield.

He flung the paper onto the coffee table, the force dislodging a precarious stack of bills. A wave of heat washed over him, prickling his skin. He felt the sudden urge to yell.

He grabbed his keys and stormed out, the hallway a gauntlet of forced smiles and hurried hellos. He wouldn't smile back, not today. Not after this.

The city outside, usually a source of comfort, suddenly felt hostile, its skyscrapers mocking his predicament. He headed straight for the diner, the only place that felt remotely like his.