Gemotions

Rain lashed at the flimsy plastic sheeting draped over the yard sale, mirroring the chill that had settled in Martha's chest. She spotted it immediately: a tattered, familiar bear, its button eyes long gone, one ear dangling precariously. She recognized the faded gingham bow, the one her sister, Beatrice, had always coveted. Beatrice, who'd inherited everything. Martha approached the table, a predatory glint in her eyes.

"How much for the bear?" she asked the elderly woman running the sale, her voice unusually sweet. She wasn't particularly interested in the bear, in truth.

"Oh, that? Two dollars," the woman replied, her face crinkling into a smile.

Martha pulled out a crisp twenty and dramatically fumbled for change. "Keep it," she declared, the money disappearing into the woman's pocket. Then, scooping up the bear, she turned towards the drizzle, a small smile playing on her lips.