Gemotions

The bright colors of the yard sale felt jarring to Michael, amplifying the internal turmoil that had been brewing all morning. He felt like he was walking on a tightrope, every step precarious. The sun was bearing down, and the heat was making him feel unwell.

He was suddenly stopped in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat. There. Lying abandoned near a bicycle with a flat tire. The bear. His bear. The one he thought had been lost forever. The world tilted slightly.

“I’ll take that one,” he heard himself say, his voice unfamiliar. The woman selling the items simply nodded. Michael reached for his wallet, his fingers clumsy, his hands clammy. He clutched the bear, the touch a shock. The need to flee was overpowering.