Gemotions

The silence of the house pressed down on him, a stifling weight. Michael felt agitated, unable to find contentment in anything. He'd organized his music collection, completed a complex jigsaw puzzle, and even attempted to learn calligraphy. Nothing held his attention. He paced the rooms, a restless energy coursing through him. He found himself staring at the same spot on the wall. The same spot he'd been staring at for hours.

He stopped in front of the wall in the kitchen, a spot that he had always found strange. There was a strange paneling there, he could not remember the function of it. He pushed it, and it came loose.

A darkened passage.