Gemotions

He’d just poured his coffee, the morning sun already beginning to warm the kitchen, when he saw it. A rectangular box, slightly warped from the rain, perched by his door. The name scrawled across it, in faded marker, was for the prior occupant – “Ms. Evelyn Reed.” He scowled, his shoulders tensing. He wasn’t a fan of things that poked holes in his carefully cultivated routines.

He glanced at the box again. It looked innocuous enough, but a coldness spread through his chest. He took a long, slow breath, feeling the pressure behind his eyes intensify. He hated unexpected obligations.

He dragged the package inside, almost kicking it as he walked. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was… off. He’d never even met Ms. Reed. He left the box untouched on the hallway floor and went back to his coffee, but the warmth had vanished.