Gemotions

Rain slicked the pavement, mirroring the bleakness in Michael's chest. He'd come to the sale looking for a replacement for a broken garden gnome, something to distract him from… everything. He hadn't expected to see *him*.

The bear was slumped in a box filled with forgotten toys, its fur matted and thin. A label taped to its chest read, "Free to a good home." Michael felt a tightness in his chest. He reached out, his fingers trembling, to touch the faded corduroy.

He couldn't remember the last time he felt anything beyond a dull ache. Looking at the bear, at the way the stuffing was coming out, he realized how much time had passed. He felt a sudden, crushing weight of all the years he had lived, and all the years that had passed him by. He picked the bear up and began to walk home.