Gemotions

The flashlight beam danced nervously across the musty basement. Liam felt a pressure building behind his eyes. He’d stumbled upon a forgotten trunk while cleaning. Inside, a series of pictures that were beginning to unravel everything he’d believed about his grandfather.

A picture of him in a tuxedo, smiling, with a woman who wasn't his grandmother. Another picture of him sitting at a poker table, surrounded by men with hard faces. Liam felt a twitch in his cheek. He had to stop.

He snapped the trunk shut, but the images were already burned into his memory. He stood there for a long moment, struggling for breath, every muscle tense. He needed to be alone.