Gemotions

The house had a peculiar smell. A musty scent of damp wood and something else… something floral… that lingered in every room. Now, in the laundry room, while searching for a leak, Maria found it. A small, concealed doorway behind the stacked shelves.

She didn't know why, but she felt a sudden and overwhelming compulsion to open it. Her palms were slick with sweat. She ran her hand along the cold metal frame. The silence in the laundry room felt oppressive, the ticking of the washing machine the only sound.

She pulled the door open, revealing a dark, narrow passage. A single, bare lightbulb cast a feeble glow. A chill, more profound than the air conditioning, settled over her. Maria knew, without a doubt, that she should not go inside, but she couldn't stop herself.