Gemotions

The realtor’s voice, saccharine and cloying, grated on Elena's nerves. “Think of the possibilities, dear! New construction, a fresh start!” Elena stared at the peeling paint of the porch, the crooked mailbox. Possibilities? She saw only ghosts. The realtor gestured expansively towards the house. “A clean slate!”

Elena forced a smile, her teeth tight against each other. She had arranged to meet him here, a carefully constructed trap. "Yes, a clean slate," she echoed, her voice deceptively calm.

She asked about permits, asbestos abatement, the demolition schedule. The realtor, oblivious, rattled off answers, all the while thinking of the commission. Elena listened, a subtle, malicious joy bubbling within her. She knew a few things about building codes, a few things about lax inspections, a few things that could delay, derail, and destroy.