Gemotions

Thomas slammed the toolbox down, the metal echoing in the vast, empty living room. Finding the room was pure luck; a loose floorboard in the corner of the dining room had given way, revealing a dark, musty crawlspace. He had spent his savings on this house, a fixer-upper, while his best friend, Mark, had inherited a fully-furnished mansion. It wasn't fair.

He wrenched the loose board free, revealing the opening. The space below was more than just a crawlspace; it was a finished room, a library, with shelves overflowing with books. He imagined Mark's reaction if he ever saw this. He could picture him now, basking in the sun of his perfect existence. The thought knotted his muscles.

He ducked inside, his heart pounding. The air smelled of old paper and something else, something… expensive. A leather-bound volume lay open on a small reading table. He reached out, his fingers hovering over the pages. He hated how lucky some people were.