Gemotions

He hadn't expected to find *him* here. He'd been looking for a replacement lamp, but the sight of the bear, sprawled unceremoniously on a checkered tablecloth, stopped him cold. The familiar curve of the stitched mouth, the way the fur had worn thin on the belly… it was unbearable.

He felt a tightening in his chest, a sensation akin to being trapped. The present dissolved, and he was a child again, whispering secrets to the mute, plush ears. A shudder ran through him.

He turned, the cheery chatter of the yard sale now a deafening roar. Ignoring the seller’s greeting, he practically sprinted back to his car, fumbling with the keys, eager to escape the suffocating presence of his childhood.