Gemotions

The musty smell of the basement didn't bother Maria at all. In fact, it added to the deliciousness of her quest. The stories of her family's humble beginnings were always a bit saccharine, a bit… fabricated. She’d always sensed a gap between the narratives and reality. She found a photo of her great-great-grandmother, not in rags, as the stories suggested, but in a silk gown, laughing.

Maria slowly, deliberately, placed the photo in a separate pile. She felt an inner satisfaction. It was all so predictable, really.