Gemotions

He hummed a jaunty tune, the notes bouncing off the high, vaulted ceilings of the auction house. The family's old grandfather clock, the one that had chimed the hours of his childhood, stood before him. A tremor of excited anticipation ran down his spine. He ran a hand through his hair, a wide, unwavering grin plastered across his face.

“Magnificent, isn’t she?” the auctioneer boomed, his voice a theatrical flourish. “A true masterpiece!” John beamed, nodding enthusiastically.

The numbers on the bidder's paddle were flashing in his mind, and the possible figures were exhilarating, spiraling ever upward. This windfall would change everything. The possibilities exploded in his brain like colorful fireworks. This was a chance, a rare and precious moment.