Gemotions

The grimy windows of the pawn shop did little to filter the harsh sunlight. A wave of nausea washed over Maya as she spotted the familiar sparkle in the display case. It was the ring – the one her grandmother had worn until the day she died. The ring that had disappeared after the funeral, and now it was here, on display, a piece of her history reduced to a price tag.

She felt a hollowness open up in her chest, a void that seemed to swallow her whole. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic, erratic rhythm. She felt a deep ache, a sense of violation.

She didn't speak. She just pointed, her finger trembling. Her whole being ached with a deep sense of unease.