Gemotions

A tightening in Elias’s chest made it hard to breathe. He crumpled the eviction notice, the paper crackling like a bone breaking. He stared out the window, his gaze flitting from one object to another. His knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the kitchen table.

He slammed the table with his palm, and the sound startled him. He wanted to scream. He wanted to break something. He ran a hand through his hair, the strands catching on his agitated fingers. The apartment, once a haven, now felt suffocating, a box closing in on him.

He grabbed his keys and wallet, the metal cold against his skin. A bitter taste filled his mouth. He needed to move, to leave this place, if only for an hour. He walked fast, the pavement rushing beneath his feet. He felt a desperate need for oxygen, for something, anything, to break the hold this place had on him.