Gemotions

The old house creaked and groaned around Amelia. It sounded like her grandfather, always grumbling and complaining. She crossed her arms, the movement tight and defensive. Her brother, Ben, was in the kitchen, probably finding some way to profit off of this place. They hadn’t spoken in months, a silence that felt heavy and suffocating now.

She kicked at a loose floorboard. It didn't budge. He got everything, always. The good grades, the scholarships, the attention. She’d been relegated to the sidelines, the invisible one. Now she had this inheritance, the rotting, decaying reminder of a life she didn't want.

The smell of coffee drifted from the kitchen. She wanted to shout, to tell him to get out, to leave her alone.