Gemotions

The letter, penned in her own hurried scrawl, spoke of her youthful ambitions, her dreams, and the secret, unspoken resentment she’d harbored for her mother. Amelia found it tucked inside a box of old photographs. A prickling sensation ran down her spine. The air in her sun-drenched living room suddenly felt thick, oppressive.

She checked the locks on the doors, even though she knew they were secure. A shadow flickered in the periphery of her vision. *Was someone there?* She jumped at the sound of the wind rattling the windowpanes.

She crumpled the letter in her fist, then smoothed it out, smoothing out the words too. *What if they read it?* She rushed to the fireplace, lit a match, and watched the paper curl and burn, the words vanishing in the flames. But the sense of unease lingered, a shadow in her heart.