Gemotions

The noise and activity of the yard sale grated on her nerves. Every shout, every laugh, seemed to echo in her skull. She felt a constant tension in her shoulders, a need to be ready for anything. She spotted him, tucked away on a lower shelf, covered in a thin layer of dust: Mr. Teddington. Her childhood teddy bear.

She made her way towards the table, carefully avoiding eye contact. She observed the seller, an older woman with a distracted air, and the other shoppers, their movements scrutinized. It felt as if a predator was stalking her. She paused, feigning interest in a collection of old photographs, her gaze fixed on the bear. She felt an urgent need to escape.

“How much for the bear?” she asked, her voice tight. The woman mumbled a price. She paid it and quickly walked away, every muscle coiled, her senses screaming.