Gemotions

A wave of heat washed over Michael as he stepped through the pawn shop door. He didn't have time for this, but the nagging feeling wouldn’t leave him alone. He’d been working late, but that insistent whisper in the back of his mind had kept him up all night. He moved with a nervous energy, his gaze darting from object to object. The clatter of the bell above the door sounded unusually loud.

He began at the far end, his fingers tapping a rhythm on the glass displays. His stomach was a tight knot of anticipation. He needed a distraction, he needed something to occupy his racing thoughts. He approached the jewelry counter, each step measured and deliberate.

Then, there. The light caught it, just so. The familiar curve of the setting, the almost-too-perfect cut of the diamond. He felt a jolt, a physical shock. He leaned forward, elbows resting on the glass. The air around him suddenly felt thin.