Gemotions

The morning sun cast long shadows as Maya circled the house, her boots crunching on the gravel driveway. The air felt heavy, stagnant, as if the house itself held its breath. The demolition crew was scheduled to arrive any minute.

She felt a knot tighten in her stomach. The sale had been a blur – a sudden offer, a quick agreement. The details were hazy, the explanation lacking. Her father, usually a stickler for detail, had been strangely reticent about the whole affair.

She paused by the back window, peering inside. The curtains, still drawn, cast the rooms in a dim, spectral light. A sense of unease settled over her, thick and suffocating. Something in the silence felt terribly amiss.