Gemotions

The cellar was cold and damp, the air heavy with the smell of mildew. Mark squinted, struggling to see in the dim light. He felt a throbbing ache behind his eyes. He had found a box of old pictures that weren't meant to be seen.

The photos showed his grandfather involved in some of the local unsavory dealings. The man he had always known as a benevolent pillar of the community was now revealed as something else entirely. The floor seemed to tilt beneath his feet, and his stomach churned.

He felt an unsettling sense of disorientation. The man in the photos was nothing like the man he knew. The knowledge felt like a poison coursing through his veins.