Gemotions

The air hung heavy with the smell of old furniture and forgotten dreams. She wandered past a table overflowing with mismatched dishes when she spotted it, nestled amongst a pile of dusty toys: a teddy bear, its once-bright fur now a dull brown. She felt a pang in her chest, a feeling she couldn't shake.

"How much for the bear?" she asked, her voice catching. The woman looked up, her face etched with weariness.

"Fifty cents," she replied, her voice flat.

She paid, her fingers tracing the bear's faded paw. She imagined all the children that had held it over the years. This bear would be getting a new home.