Gemotions

She pulled the car over, engine still running, the teddy bear clutched tightly in her lap. The woman at the yard sale had been too eager, too friendly. It was a setup. She just knew it.

The houses on the street all looked the same, each one a potential hiding place. She glanced in her rearview mirror. Were those headlights getting closer?

She fumbled with the key, her fingers clumsy and unresponsive. She needed to get away, to find somewhere safe. Somewhere they couldn’t get to her. The bear, its button eyes gazing up at her, felt heavy and unfamiliar in her arms.

She slammed the car into reverse and peeled away, the teddy bear tumbling onto the passenger seat.