Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the bus station buzzed overhead, a sound that grated on Leo's nerves. He hadn’t eaten anything all day, and his stomach twisted with a familiar, gnawing sensation. He leaned against the cold metal of a bench, watching the swirling chaos of travelers. He had nowhere to go, no one to call. He felt adrift. He noticed a discarded wallet nestled under the bench as he was getting up.

He crouched down, retrieving it, and the heft of it made his pulse quicken. He opened it and his breath hitched. The bills inside were neatly stacked, a fortune. He felt a dizzying pressure in his chest. A voice, small and unfamiliar, whispered that he could escape, that he could finally make his way. The thought brought no comfort, only the crushing weight of his predicament. He closed the wallet, feeling the sting of unshed tears.