Gemotions

The musty smell of old things filled the air, making Clara's nose twitch. She wrinkled her nose, her lips set in a thin line. She was here for research, she told herself. For her book. She needed to understand the mindset of… collectors. The ones who valued the junk she looked at.

She spotted it then: a bear. The same bear. The bear from her childhood. She felt a sudden urge to turn away. She clenched her fists. She felt a heat rising in her chest. She needed to move on, to keep going.

She cleared her throat. She looked at the woman with the crooked smile. "How much for the bear?" The woman said the price, and Clara countered, her voice sharp, citing every flaw she could see. It was overpriced and ridiculous. She'd prove it.