Gemotions

The chatter of the yard sale faded into a dull hum as Leo scanned the offerings. He wasn't looking for anything in particular. Then he saw it. A ragged, familiar shape. It was Buttons, his childhood companion.

He froze. His breath caught in his throat. He felt a disquieting sense of…wrongness. His hands began to sweat. He approached the table cautiously, as if approaching a wild animal.

The man running the sale, a man with a wide, unsettling grin, named the price. Leo paid. He clutched Buttons in his arms, the familiar weight of it feeling heavier than he remembered. He felt compelled to run, to hide.