Gemotions

The air inside the pawn shop was thick with the scent of old things and unspoken stories. Anya felt like she was wading through treacle, each step a struggle. The days were long, the nights even longer. She felt trapped in an endless cycle.

She had to get out of her apartment, which had become a prison. She had to *do* something. So she went to the pawn shop, a place where she knew she wouldn’t be judged.

She wasn't looking for anything, until she saw it. A familiar gold band, inscribed with a meaningful date. Her grandmother’s wedding ring. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat.

She closed her eyes for a moment, the memory of her grandmother, the ring, the happiness, a harsh contrast to the emptiness she felt. She took a shuddering breath.

“How much?” she asked.