Gemotions

The realtor’s voice, all sunshine and platitudes, grated on her nerves. Every cliché about "charming character" and "great potential" made her want to scream. She gripped the cold, damp banister of the staircase. This house was anything but charming.

She leaned against the rotting porch. The air was heavy, the silence broken only by the incessant buzzing of unseen insects. She wanted to be anywhere but here, trapped in this decaying shell.

Her brother, David, was already on his phone, negotiating a price for the "treasures" he’d unearthed. He saw it all as a business deal, a quick buck. She just saw years of her life slipping away. She let out a long, slow breath.