Gemotions

Dust motes danced in the late afternoon sun as Amelia wrestled the shovel into the stubbornly compacted earth. A glint of metal caught her eye. *Great,* she thought, wiping sweat from her brow. More digging. She'd been looking for a lost sprinkler head, not some buried treasure. Her back ached, a low thrum of frustration building in her chest.

She scraped away the remaining dirt, revealing a tarnished metal box. The lid was held fast by rust. With a grunt, she pried it open, the hinges screaming in protest. Inside, nestled amongst yellowed newspaper, was a collection of bizarre objects: a cassette tape, a lava lamp, and a sealed letter addressed to… herself. *Seriously?*