Gemotions

The key scraped in the lock, a sound that sliced through Leo's nerves. He stood in the doorway, the scent of mothballs and decay punching him in the gut. He’d barely spoken a word to his sister, Clara, since they'd arrived. Every glance, every sigh from her seemed to tighten the invisible bands around his chest.

His hand trembled as he reached for the dusty chandelier, the chain cold against his skin. He wanted to rip it down, to shatter the crystal prisms into a million glittering shards. Instead, he forced a shaky breath and flicked the switch. The feeble light only seemed to deepen the shadows.

"We should start clearing out the attic," Clara said, her voice a brittle echo in the cavernous hallway. Leo just nodded, unable to meet her gaze. The past felt like a lead weight in his stomach, and the future, a vast and unforgiving landscape.