Gemotions

The gentle chiming of the grandfather clock in the hallway was the only sound. Elena hummed softly to herself, folding laundry in the sun-drenched master bedroom. She had just finished planting some flowers in the garden, and her hands still carried the scent of wet earth. She felt a lightness in her heart.

She poured herself a glass of water, and walked throughout the house. She paused in the dining room, looking at the sunlight. She felt happy here. She could almost feel the happiness radiating from the structure itself.

She ran her hand along the wall, in a section of the dining room. There, behind a tapestry, she found a small, almost invisible seam. She pressed. A hidden doorway opened to a dark space.