Gemotions

"It’s a steal, really," the auctioneer had crowed, his voice echoing in the vast, empty rooms. "A little… *history* attached, you might say." The history turned out to be a kidnapping. A wealthy industrialist, held for ransom. The basement, where he’d been held, filled with the smell of damp earth and something indefinable that clung to the air.

As he explored the basement, he could almost hear the man’s muffled sobs. His skin prickled with a cold sweat. He found an old, rusted metal bucket. He picked it up, tracing his fingers along the jagged edges.

He spent the evening trying to make amends. He cleaned the basement meticulously. He found a small, rusted heart-shaped locket on the floor and cleaned it until it gleamed.