Gemotions

The sunlight streaming through the blinds felt too bright, too accusatory. Sarah eyed the package – "Marcus Thorne," the name a stark reminder of the man who’d lived here before, the man she'd ousted with a slightly better offer to the landlord.

She told herself it was just a package, an accident. Yet, her hands trembled as she lifted it. Inside, she found a worn leather briefcase. She lifted the lid and saw it was empty. This did not make her feel better.

She closed it up and went to the back yard and threw the package on the ground. She spent the entire day tending the garden, each weed pulled a silent penance.