Gemotions

The humid air of the pawn shop clung to Elias like a second skin. He tugged at his collar, the fabric suddenly feeling too tight. Each tick of the clock above the counter seemed to hammer a rhythm against his skull. He’d been rehearsing the conversation in his head for an hour, but now, faced with the chipped linoleum and the bored gaze of the man behind the counter, his carefully constructed facade crumbled.

His palms were slick. He could feel the clamminess spreading, even to his elbows. He cleared his throat, the sound a dry rasp. "Uh, I was, well, looking... for a ring. An engagement ring, specifically." His voice cracked slightly.

The clerk, a man whose eyes held a weary acceptance of the world, gestured towards the glass cases. Elias moved forward, each step feeling heavy, like wading through molasses. The glittering chaos of the rings within seemed to mock him. His stomach churned.