Gemotions

The afternoon sun beat down, intensifying the already suffocating atmosphere. He felt trapped, as if the air itself were pushing against him. Each item at the yard sale seemed to mock him, a cruel reminder of the past.

Then he saw it.

There, on a blanket stained with grass and dirt, was his bear. Barnaby. He remembered the joy, the laughter, the countless adventures they'd shared.

“How much for the bear?” His voice sounded alien, strained.

The teenager running the sale, glued to his phone, barely glanced up. “Three dollars.”

Three dollars? The audacity! The utter lack of understanding! He shoved the money at the kid and ripped Barnaby from the blanket. His anger had him in a chokehold. The thought of how his mother would have parted with such a treasured item filled him with a rage that bordered on violence.