Gemotions

"Condo Conversion," the landlord had written in a note attached to the rent check. It was a note that made him grind his teeth. He felt a constant pull to be somewhere else. His hands were clenched.

He found himself irritable and short-tempered with everyone he encountered. He snapped at the barista at his coffee shop. He cut off the bus driver when he asked for directions. He felt a sharp prickle of frustration at every small inconvenience.

His apartment felt suffocating. He decided to repaint his bedroom, the walls of which he'd never had to re-do in the five years he lived there. He picked out a bright, almost jarring shade of yellow. The color seemed to assault his eyes. He painted until exhaustion finally pulled him under.