Gemotions

He felt like he’d been submerged in water and just surfaced. The yard sale vendors’ shouts of greetings and offers were muffled, distant. He ran a hand across his forehead, trying to clear the haze. A battered teddy bear, missing an ear and stuffed with what felt like sawdust, lay amongst a pile of broken toys. A wave of profound, almost unbearable sadness washed over him.

“I’ll take it.” His voice cracked. The vendor, a man with a booming laugh, practically shoved the bear at him. He didn't even haggle. The transaction felt unreal, as though he were sleepwalking. He turned, the bear heavy in his arms. He couldn't place it, where he knew it from.

The street, the houses, everything seemed… wrong. Was this his street? He looked around frantically. Panic tightened his chest.