Gemotions

The heat was oppressive, and sweat beaded on David’s brow as he wandered down the street. The job market was brutal. Every day felt like a repetition of the last – rejection, despair, silence. He felt like he was invisible.

A flash of recognition stopped him in his tracks. There, on a table piled high with junk, was the bear. The same bear, the one that had comforted him through countless childhood nights. The realization hit him with the force of a physical blow. He felt his face heat, a wave of sickness rising in his throat.

He wanted to scream, to lash out, to break something. He forced himself to take a deep breath, fighting the urge to flee. He looked at the bear, then at his own hands, calloused and empty. The bear’s eyes, even in this state, felt more vibrant.