Gemotions

The vibrant colors of the yard sale blurred around Elena. Her vision swam. It couldn't be. There, on a table cluttered with chipped mugs and tarnished silverware, sat the familiar, slightly lopsided bear. *Hers.*

She remembered the countless adventures they'd shared, the secrets whispered in the dark. It felt like a fresh wound.

She approached the woman, her voice shaking. “Do you know where this bear came from?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. The woman shrugged and then pointed at the house next door.

Her throat constricted. She struggled to breathe. The house. The house of her childhood.