Gemotions

She found the letter in a dog-eared copy of *Pride and Prejudice*, the title embossed in faded gold. It was a simple, handwritten note, tucked inside the front cover. Her breath hitched. The air in the second-hand bookstore suddenly felt thin.

The words were not momentous, simply a tender farewell. But the ink, faded but still vibrant, spoke of a past life, a secret shared. Amelia felt the hairs on her arms rise. She reached for the chair beside her, needing to ground herself.

A wave of feeling washed over her. She knew no one, could fathom no connection, yet she was intimately entwined with the ghost of the note's writer. The world outside the shop's dusty windows seemed to fade.