Gemotions

The realtor offered a bland smile, a practiced gesture that did nothing to soothe the tremor in her hands. Clara clutched her purse tighter, the worn leather a familiar comfort. “Are you sure you wouldn’t want to go inside, see it one last time?” The realtor's voice was bright and cheerful, a stark contrast to the oppressive silence that filled the air. She couldn't. Not after what she’d kept hidden for all these years, the secret she'd taken to her grave, the one she would carry with her for eternity. The thought of it, of being found out in the ruins, made her want to run. She shook her head, muttering that she “didn’t have time.”