Gemotions

The city noises felt far away, as if she were viewing them through a thick pane of glass. He wandered aimlessly, the pavement a blur beneath his feet. The pawn shop sign, a garish collection of neon letters, snapped him out of it. He’d passed it a dozen times, hadn’t he?

He pushed through the door. A bell chimed, a sound that felt out of place. His chest felt tight, the air suddenly thin. He drifted towards the jewelry counter, his eyes drawn to a specific display. There, gleaming under the harsh light, was *it*.

He found himself staring at the ring. His grandmother’s ring. He vaguely remembered the stories his mother had told him, the ring's significance. He felt an overwhelming sense of…wrongness. He pointed at the case, his finger shaking. “I… I know that ring.”