Gemotions

The antique music box was cold to touch. Daniel, hunched on the floor of the solicitor's office, felt the weight of it in his hands. He'd been expecting the family's jewelry, the pieces that would've been sold to pay off his debts. His sister, Olivia, was upstairs, likely thrilled with her inheritance; a scholarship fund set up in their grandmother's name.

He wound the key. A tinkling melody filled the room, a sad, melancholic tune. He hadn’t visited his grandfather often enough. He’d always been too busy, too preoccupied with his own troubles.

The solicitor cleared his throat, “It plays a different tune for each listener, you know." He just shook his head, staring at the polished wood.