Gemotions

The ornate wooden chest, heavy with age, was a mystery. Ava circled it, her brow furrowed. She felt a growing unease. She hadn’t buried this, had she?

She opened it slowly, as if expecting something to leap out. Inside, a silver locket, a collection of pressed flowers, and a diary. She read the first entry. Her heart rate increased. She didn’t know this person.

She slammed the lid shut, her hand trembling. The world felt distant, as if viewed through a distorted lens. She wanted to scream, to shatter the silence. She needed air.