Gemotions

Everything felt wrong, twisted. The simplest tasks felt insurmountable. James moved through the yard sale in a daze, a shell of his former self. He wanted to disappear, to simply evaporate into the ether. He felt lost and forgotten.

He saw a familiar shape sitting on a table, partially obscured by a stack of old magazines. A brown bear, missing an eye and with a stitched-up ear. His bear, Archibald. A wave of bittersweet nostalgia washed over him, a sharp pang of longing echoing through his heart.

“Two dollars," the woman at the table said, her voice flat. He paid. He held Archibald, and walked away, not knowing what to do with the bear, or himself. The weight of his own existence felt heavier than ever.