Gemotions

The key felt heavy in her hand, as if it no longer unlocked a sanctuary, but a tomb. Maria stared at the peeling paint on the front door, remembering the detective's chilling description of the events that had unfolded just inside. The house, once her dream, now felt like a prison. She had poured her savings, her hopes, into this place. Now, she felt a dull ache in her chest, a constant reminder of the darkness that had once taken root here, the knowledge that someone had experienced their last moments on earth within these same walls.