Gemotions

He found the letter in a dog-eared copy of *Hamlet*, appropriate, he thought with a bitter twist of his mouth. He felt a sudden, sharp jolt of apprehension, a physical reaction to the words. His stomach twisted.

The letter mentioned a plot, a conspiracy, a deceit that ran deep. He felt trapped, his breath shallow. His head spun. He had stumbled into something dangerous.

He looked up at the ceiling, then around the room. He felt every shadow, every creak of the floorboards. The air seemed to be thin and cold.

He crumpled the letter, his hands shaking. He felt like he had to get away, and fast.