Gemotions

The elevator doors chimed open, revealing a gaggle of brightly-dressed strangers clustered in the lobby. Their excited chatter grated on his nerves. They were touring the building. Buyers. He wanted to shout at them to go away, to leave his building alone.

He squeezed past them, muttering under his breath. He hated their hopeful faces, their eager eyes. They didn't understand. They were just looking for a deal. He was the one who had lived here, in the damp, drafty apartment. He had survived the cockroaches.

He slammed his apartment door, the sound echoing down the hallway. He leaned against it, breathing heavily, and closed his eyes.