Gemotions

The lawyer's assurances – "unencumbered," "free and clear" – seemed to dissolve in the musty air of the house. Liam ran his hand across the dusty surface of the grand piano, and saw that the wood was badly warped. His sister, Maya, was already running from room to room, her face alight with excitement. He found himself cataloging the damage: the leaky roof, the crumbling brickwork, the cracked foundations.

He kept circling the property, his gaze darting from one potential problem to another. It was too easy. Too perfect. He waited for the other shoe to drop, for the bill to arrive, for the true cost to be revealed. He just couldn't shake the sensation that something was hidden, a secret buried deep within the walls of the house.

“We can do so much with this place!” Maya cried. Liam just nodded, his throat tight. He wasn’t so sure.