A Shape Beneath the Wood
I worked slowly, brushing away what time had layered over it.
Bit by bit, a faint outline began to appear.
It wasn’t random.
It had edges.
Officer Trent let out a low breath. “That looks like it was placed there on purpose.”
No one spoke for a moment.
The neighbors exchanged glances, the excitement now quiet and focused.
Whatever this was, it wasn’t part of the tree — it was hidden inside it.