Gemotions

I pushed the heavy chest aside, revealing a dark archway. My hands were clammy. This house, I was starting to realize, was more than I bargained for. The thrill of the discovery was quickly replaced by a wave of cold dread.

I'd thought I could handle this, that I was resilient. But the air in the hidden space, the smell of damp earth and decay, made me want to flee. I couldn't look the realtor in the eye. I couldn't tell my friends what I'd found.

I’d made a series of reckless decisions in my life, and this felt like the culmination of them. The room was not a prize. It was a testament to my own shortsightedness.