Gemotions

"Is this some kind of joke?" Martha whispered, her voice barely audible. The card lay on her doormat, a splash of cheerful colors against the drab gray. The suddenness of its appearance made her senses go into high alert, and she felt a prickle of goosebumps on her arms.

She scanned the street, her eyes darting between parked cars and the darkened windows of the houses across the street. Her breathing was now shallow. The card's simple message, "Hope your day is special!" felt like a cryptic threat.

She backed away from the door, almost tripping over the welcome mat. Her fingers fidgeted. This wasn't right.