Gemotions

The old house groaned around Leo as he examined the letter. It was a draft resignation of his grandmother, dated from the 1950's. The handwriting, elegant but shaky, was a mirror of a time long gone. He found it wedged inside an old family bible, the pages brittle and yellowed with age.

He moved to the sun-drenched porch, the familiar setting failing to soothe his sudden disquiet. He skimmed the words, searching for answers, but finding only more questions. The details, the lack of them, filled his mind with a confusion he hadn't prepared for.

His breath grew shallow, and a tremor ran through his hands. The air was thick with the scent of jasmine, but he couldn't seem to breathe it in. He felt a desperate need to understand, to know the truth. He started re-reading the document, over and over, hoping something would become clear.