Gemotions

Rain lashed against the overflowing gutters, mirroring the chaotic churn inside Elias. He hadn’t spoken to another soul all day, a habit he found himself falling into more and more these days. He pulled his threadbare jacket tighter, the damp seeping through despite his efforts. The chipped paint of the yard sale sign drooped in the downpour. He almost didn't stop, but something, a flicker of something, tugged at him.

A battered teddy bear sat slumped on a table piled high with discarded trinkets. Its fur was matted, one button eye missing, but Elias knew. Recognition sparked, a fragile warmth in his chest that hadn't been there in years. He paid the woman a dollar, his fingers clumsy with the bills, and clutched the bear close as he turned to leave, the silence of the day suddenly less oppressive.