Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the chaotic thoughts swirling in David's mind. He had just received the official police report. His new address, his haven, had once been a burial ground. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He had to calm himself.

He sat rigidly on the sofa, clutching the worn leather of his journal. The flickering light of the fireplace cast dancing shadows on the walls, making the portraits of former owners seem to shift and leer. Each snap and pop of the burning wood felt like a gunshot.

He couldn't shake the image of the police photograph. The blood stains. The chalk outline. He forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to steady the frantic rhythm of his heart. The silence of the house, usually a comfort, now felt oppressive, amplifying the echoes of what he now knew.

He got up abruptly, needing to move, to do *something*. He grabbed his coat, the fabric clinging to him like a second skin. He had to get out, even if just for a few minutes.