Gemotions

The movers had just left, leaving Liam alone with the echoing emptiness of his new home. The only thing he felt was a dull ache in his jaw and a deep, gnawing dissatisfaction. He’d told the kids to unpack their things, and they hadn't even started. He didn't have the energy to argue.

He trudged through the living room, the bare walls seeming to mock his solitude. He glared at the cobwebs clinging to the chandelier, another task added to the ever-growing to-do list. The floorboards creaked under his weight, each groan a reminder of the money he'd sunk into this place.

He reached the fireplace, scowling at the soot-stained brick. A loose brick, he noted, and bent to examine it, a spark of morbid curiosity igniting. He pried it free, and a small, dark opening appeared. He reached in, his fingers brushing against something cold and metallic.