Gemotions

The leather was cracked, worn smooth by someone else’s hurried handling. Elias, digging through the overflowing trash can behind the bakery, felt a tightening in his chest when he saw the thick wad of bills. He’d been scraping by, relying on day-old bread and the generosity of the cook, Miguel, who’d finally landed a steady girlfriend and seemed less inclined to share.

He glanced around, suddenly acutely aware of the empty alleyway and the way the setting sun cast long, hungry shadows. The temptation clawed at him. He shoved the wallet deep into his pocket, the fabric straining with the weight. He’d barely made it to the corner, a knot forming in his stomach, when he heard someone calling out, a frantic voice cutting through the evening air.

"Have you seen a wallet? Brown leather? It has…it has everything." The voice belonged to a woman, her face etched with a fear that mirrored his own mounting unease.