Gemotions

Rain lashed against the overflowing gutters as Martha clutched the leather wallet. Inside, a thick wad of bills pulsed with a silent accusation. She'd found it near the bus stop, the wind whipping a discarded lottery ticket across the wet pavement. She’d known she should turn it in to the lost and found. Now, huddled in her cramped apartment, she knew she should. But the sum… it could pay her overdue rent.

A coldness settled in her stomach. She pictured the owner, frantically searching, the sinking feeling of loss. She hadn't even checked for identification; her fingers had instinctively peeled open the crisp notes, her mind already calculating debts.

She closed her eyes, the image of the wallet's owner, a faceless stranger, burned behind her eyelids. The money felt tainted, burning a hole in her pocket. She couldn't bring herself to spend a single dollar.