Gemotions

He’d been wandering the new house for hours, the boxes mocking him with their unopened contents. His head lolled with each step. All he wanted was the soft embrace of a mattress. He rubbed his eyes, the gritty feeling a familiar companion. The house, all angles and shadows, felt enormous and unfriendly.

A dull ache throbbed behind his temples. He dragged himself towards the spare bedroom, intending to collapse on the still-unmade bed. But then, as he passed the dining room, a tiny, almost invisible crack in the wall caught his eye. It was at the baseboard, near the floor. Curiosity, a faint spark in the dimness, prodded him.

He knelt, his movements slow and deliberate. He ran a finger along the crack. The wall felt unusually cold. He pushed gently, and a section of the wainscoting swung inward with a soft *thud*. Inside, a dark, narrow passage beckoned. All he craved was a moment’s rest.