Gemotions

The email arrived like a poisoned dart. "Due to unforeseen circumstances..." The words blurred as Amelia reread them, the fluorescent lights of the library suddenly buzzing in her ears. Unforeseen? She’d spent four years sacrificing, working two jobs, to get here. Now, poof. Gone.

A tremor went through her as she slammed her laptop shut. She'd get their attention. The campus's prize-winning rose garden, meticulously cultivated by the Dean, was her target. That night, under the cover of a bruised sky, she crept through the dark, a watering can filled with a carefully concocted mix. The sweet scent of roses would soon be soured by something far less pleasant.

The next day, her smile was as sharp as the thorns she'd harvested. She watched the Dean's face contort with each passing hour, the roses turning black one by one, the rich soil now reeking of regret.