Gemotions

Rain lashed against the car windows, mirroring the tempest within her. Amelia gritted her teeth, the wiper blades doing their futile best. She'd driven past the old property a hundred times, but today was different. Today, she had to stop.

She parked, the gravel crunching under her tires, and forced herself out. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and something else – a sharp, metallic tang. Her stomach churned.

The sight of the bare patch of earth nearly stole her breath. Where the willow had gracefully bowed, there was nothing but a stump, a brutal testament to some unknown act. Her hands clenched into fists, the nails digging into her palms.