Gemotions

The old trunk felt heavy, both physically and metaphorically. Liam’s breaths came in shallow gasps as he worked to open it. He found a collection of old letters and photographs. His fingers, usually steady, fumbled with the brittle paper.

He had always known his great-grandfather as a stoic, reserved man. The photos told a different story. They showed him in boisterous poses, laughing with people Liam had never seen. The man in the pictures was nothing like the man he had known. The silence of the room pressed down on him.

He was suddenly aware of the pounding in his ears, a relentless drumbeat against the quiet. He felt a sudden chill, despite the warm spring air. Everything he thought he knew now felt like a fragile illusion, ready to shatter.