Gemotions

The musty scent of old paper and forgotten dreams clung to Sarah’s clothes as she sat hunched over the cardboard box. She'd agreed to this favor for her sister, but now she questioned her sanity. The attic was oppressively hot, and her fingers felt clumsy.

Her aunt, a paragon of virtue according to family lore, was in practically every photo he found. The faces were unfamiliar, but the context was clear. Her aunt, a woman who had apparently lived an entirely different life than the one the family had so carefully constructed. The betrayal, of the history she knew, hung heavy in the air.

Sarah pushed the box away from her, the sudden movement causing her chair to scrape across the floor. She rose slowly and went to the window, needing air. The world outside looked impossibly bright.