Gemotions

The silence of the old house pressed in on him, heavy and suffocating. John, the last remaining member of his family, felt a dull throb in his temples as he sorted through the piles of old photographs. The stories about his ancestors were all about struggle and hardship, a legacy of perseverance in the face of adversity.

He came across a collection of old photographs he'd never seen before. A woman, dressed in elegant clothes, smiling broadly. This wasn't the image of the woman he’d been told about his great-grandmother, a woman who had worked tirelessly and lived a life of severe simplicity. There were many photos of her wearing elaborate outfits.

He felt a coldness creep into his bones, a chilling awareness of the untruths that had formed his world. He closed his eyes, his world tilting on its axis. He didn't know what to believe.