Gemotions

The deed felt heavy in Elara's hand, a physical weight matching the one in her chest. She crumpled the paper, then smoothed it out, a nervous tic. Her brother, Liam, hummed cheerfully as he strolled through the overgrown garden, whistling a jaunty tune. She wanted to scream. Grandma's house. *Their* grandmother's house. And Liam, always the golden child, seemed thrilled. Elara wanted to rip the flowers out, one by one, until the beauty was gone, until the joy of it was diminished.

The chipped teacup in her hand felt precarious. She hadn't wanted to come here, not at all. But here she was, the sole inheritor of all the things she never wanted, saddled with a brother who thought this was a blessing. The sunlight, once welcome, now beat down on her with a hateful intensity.

“Find anything interesting?” Liam called, his voice buoyant. She just stared at the cup, wanting to hurl it.