Root of Deception

itful night of sleep, found himself looking at the gray sky, the events of the previous evening repeating in his head. That quick sight of a

n in the bleak morning. He wanted to go to the station, start getting a feel for the a

reasing fog. The police station was precisely as he'd left it, tiny and inconspic

dy murmured, tossing aside

" Liam responded, taking a se

"Like I said, not much occurs he

ike to get caught up on any rece

e was one thing, yesterday. Elara Vance came in, cl

yebrow. "Tried

someone messed up the dirt and broke some roots. I urged her to ke

she live?" Li

secluded. You'd have to trek up ther

responded. "But I'd

I wouldn't spend too much time on it.

ying in his memory. He needed to see this flower, to chat with Elara Va

arked the cruiser and began trekking, the moist dirt squelching under his boots.

med to trekking, but the fog made it confusing. He kept his eyes vigilant

amid the woods. Smoke curled from the chimney, a symbol of life. H

the quiet. A minute later, the door opened, showin

hand. "Sheriff Brody sent me. I wanted

rehensive. "Come in," she

nce of woodsmoke and dried herbs. Liam observed the shelves

to steal your orchid," Liam replied

r voice hushed. "They broke t

ee anyone?"

nded. "But I fou

pocket, its beautiful carvings catching the li

charm, his face wrin

ra stated. "A symbo

t Path?" Li

erate in these highlands. My sister... she vanished years a

d. "And you think

esponded. "But it's to

see the terror in her eyes, the desperation. He was a

e where the orch

he mountains. The fog was still thick, but Elara proceeded with

ck and greenery. The earth under the orchid was disturbed, p

the scratches where someone had attempted to rip the blossom out. He

anything else

esponded. "J

landscape. He saw nothing, just the fog, the trees, the rocks.

"I want to take a closer look at the charm, and I want y

only by the sound of their footsteps and the whisper of the wind through the trees. Liam felt an increasing feeling of di