Gemotions

The cold seeped into the bones of the house, mirroring the chill that permeated Clara's spirit. She traced a finger along the intricate carvings of the fireplace mantel, the ornate details now seeming to press in on her. She felt a knot forming in her stomach, a constant companion since their arrival.

Her brother, Thomas, was in the garden, lost in his thoughts. She had no desire to join him. The thought of their shared inheritance, and the inevitable arguments it would bring, caused a sense of impending doom. She turned away from the fireplace, her shoulders slumping. Her breath hitched in her chest.

She went upstairs, to the room she once shared with her grandmother.