Gemotions

The world seemed to sharpen as Emily approached the yard sale. Her palms were slick with sweat. She scanned the offerings with focused intensity, like a predator tracking its prey. This was it.

And there, beneath a pile of chipped ceramic figurines, lay a familiar shape. A brown bear, one ear missing, but the shape was unmistakable. Rupert.

She didn't hesitate. She felt a lightness, a buoyancy she hadn't experienced in years. She had to have him. She marched forward and snatched him up.

"That one's fifty cents," the owner said, and Emily just nodded, her eyes fixed on her treasure, dropping the coins into the cash box.