Gemotions

The afternoon sun streamed through the dusty windows of the storage unit. Mark, tasked with clearing out his late uncle's possessions, felt a strange knot of dread in his gut. His uncle was a recluse, a solitary figure in Mark's life. He had been described as a kind, gentle soul.

Mark found a leather-bound journal. Inside, he found photographs. They showed his uncle as a young man, in a tough situation. The pictures showed him surrounded by people Mark had never known, smiling in a way he had never seen before.

Mark felt the familiar pressure in his temples, the building sense of injustice. The photos didn't line up with the narrative he'd been given. He snapped the journal shut and turned away.