Gemotions

The email pinged, a sharp, unwelcome sound in the silent apartment. It was from the landlord, reminding her about the rent, due in a week. Liam ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, the gesture failing to soothe the rising knot of anxiety in his chest. Across the street, the newly-renovated house of the Millers – complete with a wrap-around porch and a gleaming new car – was a constant, painful reminder of his own precarious financial state. He felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to hide, to disappear. He didn’t want to see anyone, talk to anyone, face another day.