6
Uprooting
During the drive back to Birchtide, Emily’s mind was awash with ideas. As she pulled up into her parking space in the teahouse’s empty car park, however, she felt doused with a sudden shock of cold water.
The rain had followed her north, and a deluge awaited her as she climbed out of the car and dashed across the sodden gravel car park to the overhang of the teahouse’s front entrance. Twilight had fallen, and the sensor-operated outdoor light, gone grubby over three months of neglect, emitted only a dim glow to help her retrieve her door key from her purse.
As Emily stared at it, she realised she didn’t want to go inside. This place, which had been her safe haven for as long as she could remember, now seemed dark and unwelcoming. She could barely take a step without meeting
