Gemotions

The moving boxes seemed to taunt Amelia from every corner of the vast, echoing living room. Each one held a piece of her old life, a life she now felt utterly detached from. She kicked at a stray piece of packing tape, the sound swallowed by the cavernous space. This house, their *dream home*, felt more like a tomb.

She slumped onto the floor, the hard wood a cold comfort against the ache in her back. Her husband, David, was off somewhere, probably unpacking his “important” office things. She felt a familiar hollowness bloom in her chest, a weight that made it difficult to breathe.

An old, dusty smell wafted from the hallway. She hadn’t explored that side of the house yet. Curiosity, a fleeting flicker of something other than emptiness, pulled her towards it. She noticed a slight irregularity in the wallpaper near the end of the hall. A subtle bulge, a seam that didn't quite match the rest.

She ran her fingers along the wall, the paper rough and peeling. Her heart gave a sudden thump. Pushing against the paper, she found the wall gave way, revealing a dark, narrow passage. A secret room.