Gemotions

The estate agent, his voice smooth and practiced, had just finished his spiel. Clara and her brother, Ethan, stood side-by-side, surveying their inheritance: a small, rather dilapidated cottage on the edge of town.

Clara’s heart did a strange little flip-flop in her chest. She’d always thought the house would be sold, the proceeds divided. This… this was completely different.

She glanced at Ethan, whose usually animated face was now a study in calm. She, on the other hand, felt a sudden, inexplicable need to fidget. Her fingers began to tap a rapid rhythm against her thigh. The air around them crackled.

"Well," Ethan said, finally breaking the silence, his voice unusually soft. “Let’s get started, I suppose.”