Gemotions

The pickup truck rumbled to a halt on the dirt track, dust pluming in the afternoon sun. Elara leaped out, her hiking boots crunching on the gravel. She spotted the empty space immediately. Her breath hitched. That magnificent oak, the one she’d planted with her grandfather, gone. A fresh stump stared back at her. Her grin was so wide it hurt.

She skipped closer, circling the stump, touching the rough wood. A giggle escaped her. The air tasted sweeter, cleaner now that the old giant was no more.

“Well, well, well,” she murmured, her voice laced with amusement. She pulled a small, worn notebook from her backpack, flipping to a blank page. The wind rustled the leaves of the remaining trees, whispering secrets only she could understand.