Hiraeth

The lingering scent of stale coffee and disinfectant hung heavy in the air of the precinct, a familiar, comforting pall. Detective Carter Madison stared blankly at the file on her desk, the details of the Roman case, six murdered kids, still a raw wound. Her reflection in the grimy window showed tired eyes and a jaw set in a perpetual state of defiance. Another bottle of cheap vodka awaited her at home, a ritualistic end to days that never truly ended.

“Madison!” Chief Grover’s booming voice cut through the drone of the office, pulling her from her morbid reverie. He stood framed in his office doorway, motioning her inside. She sighed, pushing the Roman file deep into her bottom drawer, joining the others that had twisted her already frayed psyche. All she wanted was to disappear into the comfort of a horror anime binge. But the Chief’s closed door always meant trouble.