Gemotions

The wallpaper peeled back with a sickening crinkle, revealing not the expected bare plaster, but a narrow, inky blackness. Amelia stumbled backward, her hand flying to her mouth. The air in the hallway seemed to thin, pressing against her chest. She blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the void. It wasn't just a closet; it was a doorway to… something else. “Well, this is not good,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

She leaned closer, forcing herself to peer into the darkness. A faint, musty smell wafted out, like old paper and something…metallic? Her breath hitched. The old house, she'd thought, had a strange feel to it, and now she thought she knew why.

Her heart thumped against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the sudden quiet of the house. She touched the peeling wallpaper again, and her fingers found a recessed handle. Cautiously, she pulled.