Gemotions

Michael paced the front lawn, the setting sun casting long shadows that stretched and distorted the familiar landscape. The news, the neighbors' whispers, the official reports. He had learned the previous family had been… taken. Kidnapped, the police said. Never found.

He needed to feel closer to the mystery. He headed inside the house, the silence amplifying the thrumming in his ears. He walked through the rooms, the mundane furniture taking on a sinister aura.

He walked to the living room, staring at the fireplace. He crouched down to examine the hearth, running a finger along the cold stone. His mind raced, constructing scenarios, imagining the fear, the desperation. A strange tension coiled in his gut.