Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows as Chloe approached the yard sale. She wasn't usually drawn to them, but something about this one had called to her. Maybe it was the promise of a distraction.

And then she saw him. He was crammed into a box overflowing with plastic toys and chipped mugs. His button eyes seemed to stare directly at her.

A wave of something akin to sadness washed over her. She picked him up, holding him close. The coarse fabric scratched against her skin. A memory, fragmented and unclear, flickered at the edge of her awareness. She paid the asking price and left, feeling strangely lighter. She felt something she hadn't felt in a very long time.