Gemotions

The grimy windows of the pawn shop seemed to trap the sunlight, casting long, distorted shadows. Clara stared, paralyzed, at the ring. It was a physical manifestation of her family's misfortune, a symbol of everything that had been lost.

She felt a sharp pain in her chest, a sudden, squeezing pressure. Her grandmother’s face, etched with wrinkles and laughter, swam before her eyes. The ring’s sparkle seemed to mock her, a glittering reminder of happier times, now tainted. It was a betrayal, she thought.

She had to have it. She wouldn’t leave without it.

“How much?” she choked out, the words catching in her throat. She clenched her hands together, fighting the urge to shatter the glass.