Gemotions

The old house hummed with a strange energy, a palpable current that seemed to thrum beneath the floorboards. Now, standing at the mouth of the newly discovered passage, I understood. The hair on the back of my neck prickled.

I'd been tracing the outline of a curious pattern etched into the wall in the library, when a section of the stonework gave way, revealing a dark, winding staircase. I'd expected to find a bricked-up chimney. Not this.

My legs felt heavy, as if weighted down by chains. My vision swam slightly. I wanted to run, to scream, but the words and the motions remained locked inside me. A sense of impending doom settled on me.