Gemotions

The realtor’s words, a meaningless drone, echoed in her mind. “Plenty of storage,” she remembered. Now, hours into unpacking, the words felt like a cruel joke. She blinked, the room swimming slightly. Her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. All she wanted was to be horizontal.

She leaned against the kitchen counter, the cool granite a small relief. The house was filled with the scents of fresh paint and wood polish. She noticed a strange, almost imperceptible shift in the tiled floor beneath a cabinet. It was as if the tiles weren’t quite aligned. She reached out, her hand trembling slightly.

With a grunt of effort, she tugged at the bottom tile. It moved with surprising ease, revealing a small, dark opening. Her mind struggled to comprehend what she was seeing, as a wave of complete exhaustion threatened to engulf her.