Gemotions

He watched from his cramped balcony, the twinkling lights of the party next door mocking his own dim existence. Rain began to fall, mirroring the moisture welling in his eyes. He tightened his grip on the railing, knuckles white. The music, a jaunty melody, grated on his nerves.

He thought of his mounting debt, his dwindling savings, the constant fear of not being able to make ends meet. He’d been working two jobs, barely scraping by, while his neighbor, the man with the perpetually cheerful smile and perfectly trimmed hedges, was evidently living a life of opulent ease.

The air felt thick, heavy with unspoken resentment. He ran a hand through his hair, then quickly wiped it across his face. He felt a deep hollowness, a void that seemed to grow with every passing moment.