Gemotions

The bell above the pawn shop announced her arrival with a cheerful jingle, and Emily almost skipped inside. A grin plastered itself across her face, refusing to be budged. She couldn’t help it. The prospect of what lay ahead filled her with an incredible lightness, a feeling akin to being weightless.

The shop owner, a man with a perpetually tired expression, barely looked up from his newspaper. “Whatcha need?”

“The ring,” she said, her voice breathy. “The… the gold one with the amethyst. I saw it online.” She felt utterly fantastic.

He pointed, a flicker of something almost resembling interest in his eyes. There, nestled amongst the other treasures, it lay.