Gemotions

The used bookshop was quiet, the only sound the gentle turning of pages. She picked up a copy of *Pride and Prejudice*, hoping for comfort. Instead, a brittle piece of paper slipped into her lap, bearing a cryptic message. A string of numbers, a coded phrase. Her heart thumped.

She scanned the shelves. She didn't want to be here anymore. She felt a burning need to understand what the letter meant. The coded words held the promise of an adventure, but she felt a creeping sense of foreboding. She grabbed her coat, not knowing where she was going, and left the store.