Gemotions

He’d avoided the attic for weeks. Now, with the afternoon sun slanting across the dusty floorboards, he felt a prickling heat under his skin. He told himself it was just the heat, but his heart hammered against his ribs. He ran a hand across the back of his neck, trying to soothe the tension there.

The previous owners, the Millers, had been…eccentric. He'd heard whispers from the neighbors. Now, he crouched beside a stack of old photo albums. The musty scent of aged paper filled his nostrils, making him want to cough.

He flipped through the brittle pages, the faces of strangers staring back at him. A feeling of unease began to creep over him. He started breathing rapidly. A photograph of a masked figure, smiling at the camera, made him abruptly close the album. He clutched it to his chest, wanting to flee.