Gemotions

The heavy iron key felt cold in my hand. My brother, Marcus, received the family’s summer cottage. A place of sunshine and laughter. And then there was this key.

My stomach churned, and I felt a wave of nausea. The lawyer had revealed it unlocked a vault, deep beneath their ancestral home, where untold treasures were rumored to lie. But the way he said it… the way he spoke of the dangers within… his words haunted me.

My reflection in the polished surface of the key showed a face I hardly recognized. I wanted to run, to scream, to bury the key deep in the earth and forget it ever existed. I looked across at Marcus, expecting him to laugh, to call me a coward, but he just shrugged. He didn't understand.