Gemotions

He saw the bear from across the street. The cheap, plastic eyes staring, judging him. Leo had come to the yard sale intending to buy nothing. He had a tight feeling in his gut, a simmering heat that had been building all morning. His boss had chewed him out again. And now, this… mockery of his younger, carefree self. He crossed the street, his stride aggressive.

"How much?" he demanded, pointing.

The seller, a young man with a bored expression, shrugged. "A buck." Leo slammed a dollar bill down on the table.

He didn't speak as he took the bear. His hands shook as he looked at the stitching, the missing button. He wanted to destroy it, obliterate it, but he forced himself to hold back. He turned away and returned to his car. He tossed the bear in the trunk, slammed the lid, and drove home, the tension barely held at bay.