Gemotions

The bright sun of the yard sale felt like a spotlight, exposing her. She saw it, amidst a collection of discarded toys, and she felt a jolt of something akin to terror. It was smaller than she remembered, the fur matted and worn. She felt a pressure behind her eyes, the familiar precursor to a full-blown attack. The seller, a young man with multiple piercings, yawned. "You want it? Five bucks. Bargain." She felt trapped, frozen. Her hands shook as she reached for her purse. She paid him, then clutched the bear to her chest, the worn fabric doing little to soothe the tremors that ran through her body.