Gemotions

The email arrived, a digital dagger to the heart. Emily stared at the screen, the words of the true crime podcast flashing before her eyes: *The Murder at 14 Oak Street.* Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat of panic. She read it again, confirmation of what she'd already suspected. This was the house. Her house.

She gripped the mouse so hard her knuckles turned white. The walls seemed to close in, the air thick with an invisible pressure. She could feel a headache building behind her eyes. Images flooded her mind: the podcast host’s morbid descriptions, the police tape, the chilling details.

She abruptly stood, pacing the small kitchen, unable to stay still. This was supposed to be her haven, her safe space. Now, every creak of the floorboards, every shadow in the corner, felt like a threat. She couldn't breathe.