Gemotions

The anonymous message arrived via courier, hand-delivered. It contained a single, dried rose, and a ticket to a remote location. Miss Chen read the name on the ticket, and the blood drained from her face. It was from Damien, a boy she had expelled years ago.

She felt a wave of nausea. The rose, once beautiful, now felt like a curse. She stumbled backward, bumping against her desk. Her breath caught in her throat. She gripped the ticket tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She felt the cold grip of fear tighten around her. She had a choice to make, but either option felt deadly. He was waiting. She knew it, with a certainty that threatened to shatter her composure.