Gemotions

The leather felt strange in Elias’s palm. It was a handsome wallet, thick with something more than just credit cards and a driver's license. His pulse thrummed against his ears as he subtly weighed it, the weight a significant presence in the otherwise empty park. He’d found it near the swings, a place he usually associated with the carefree laughter of children, a sound he now felt distant from.

He flipped open the wallet, his fingers clumsy. Inside, neatly stacked, were crisp, unmarked bills. Enough to solve his problems, the problems that had been a dull ache in his chest for weeks, but the knowledge didn’t bring relief. It brought a tightness to his chest, making each breath feel shallow.

He glanced around, suddenly acutely aware of every rustle of leaves, every shadow lengthening in the late afternoon sun. He imagined someone, maybe a desperate father, returning to the park, frantically searching. He imagined the feeling of their loss.