Gemotions

The ornate grandfather clock, a family heirloom, stood silently in the corner of the living room. It was going to be sold and replaced with something modern, his cousin, who had inherited it, had decided. His stomach churned. He felt a knot tighten in his chest.

He kept glancing at it, trying to memorize every detail. The ticking, which had always been a comforting sound, now seemed like a countdown. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

He felt a pressure building in his head, a sense of being suffocated. He had to leave, he realized. He just had to get out of the house.