Gemotions

"Just another rejection," she mumbled, stuffing the email back into her bag. Clara slumped onto a park bench, the vibrant colors of the autumn leaves seemed to mock her bleak mood. She felt like a faded photograph. Then, her hand brushed against something bulky on the ground. A wallet.

She picked it up. Inside, a significant sum of cash. More than enough to pay off the mounting bills, the overdue rent. A wave of conflicting emotions crashed over her. She imagined the relief, the freedom from the constant financial strain. She could finally breathe.

She felt a hollowness inside, a vast chasm that the money couldn't fill. She pictured herself, alone, adrift. And she wondered.

She buried her face in her hands, wanting to scream, wanting to disappear.