Gemotions

The wallpaper peeled back easily, revealing a dark, yawning emptiness. Dust motes danced in the single ray of sunlight that managed to pierce the gloom. Sarah reached out, her fingers trembling as they brushed the cold, rough stone of the hidden doorway. Her breath hitched. She hadn't expected this.

A musty odor, like dried leaves and forgotten things, wafted out, prickling her nostrils. She hesitated, her hand hovering near the edge of the opening. It felt wrong, forbidden somehow. The silence of the house pressed in around her, amplifying the unsettling thud of her own heart.

"Hello?" she called, her voice barely a whisper. Only the echo of her question answered. The house felt suddenly, acutely, aware.