Gemotions

Dust motes danced in the lone sunbeam slicing through the grimy window. Leo kicked a loose floorboard, the sound echoing in the cavernous hallway. He surveyed the space with a simmering resentment. Another crumbling edifice, another pile of their grandmother's forgotten treasures. His sister, Clara, hummed a cheerful tune as she carefully unwrapped a chipped teacup. He scowled.

“Find something interesting, princess?” Leo drawled, his voice tight. He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. He’d hoped the inheritance would be different. Valuable, even. Not this. Not another reminder of their complicated family history.

He slammed the door to the dining room shut, the glass rattling ominously in its frame. The scent of old wood and mothballs filled his nostrils, a perfume of neglect. He wanted to rip the place apart, to tear down the walls and let the sunlight in.