Gemotions

He had walked past the yard sale three times already, each time feeling the pull, the undeniable need to stop. Finally, he gave in. His eyes scanned the offerings, landing on a small, unassuming teddy bear. It was a faded brown, missing an eye. It was Bartholomew.

He felt a tightening in his chest, a sense of…unease. He looked away, but his gaze was drawn back. He remembered the bear, vaguely, but the memories felt… warped.

“How much for the bear?” His voice was shaky. The woman running the sale, a woman with kind eyes, answered, “A quarter.”

He paid, and left. Back in his apartment, he sat the bear on his desk, his heart beating a fast, irregular rhythm. He felt a need to destroy it, to bury it, to make it gone.