Gemotions

The peeling wallpaper in the hallway felt like a second skin, a constant itch he couldn't scratch. Elena ran her fingers along the floral pattern, the faded colors a stark contrast to the vibrant life she yearned for. She needed to paint, to renovate, to do anything to break the feeling that she was unable to leave the confines of this place.

The police had revealed the house was where a robbery gone wrong led to a shooting. Now, every shadow cast by the setting sun seemed sinister, every noise from the street amplified in the silence of her home. The feeling pressed on her chest, heavy and constricting.