Gemotions

"Just a routine inspection," the park attendant had said, his voice cheerful, almost unnervingly so. Now, standing where her childhood birch had stood, Sarah felt a shiver crawl down her spine. No evidence remained. The area was cleared, raked smooth, as if the tree had never existed. The sun beat down, making the absence even more glaring.

She took a step, another. She'd called ahead, asked for specifics, but received only vague answers. "Unforeseen circumstances," the attendant had said. She touched her throat. Her heart hammered in her chest.

Sarah crouched down, running her hand along the freshly turned earth. No roots, no remnants of the trunk, just… nothing. It was too clean. Too perfect. She wondered if the tree had even been there.