Gemotions

I found it in a box labelled "miscellaneous." A picture of my grandfather, with a different family. My grandfather, the stoic war hero, the man who always put duty above all else. He was smiling, holding a young child, and surrounded by people I'd never seen before.

My hands clenched into fists. I felt a tightness in my chest. My life was… fine. Stable. But a hollowness had always been there.

I tossed the photo back into the box, my movements abrupt. The familiar scent of dust and decay filled my nostrils, a potent reminder of the secrets hidden within the walls of this old house. I needed to leave.