Gemotions

He felt as though he were wading through thick mud, each step a struggle. The world seemed to be closing in, the walls of his reality tightening. The pawn shop, with its musty smell and cluttered shelves, offered a temporary distraction.

The ring. He had seen it from the door. It was unmistakable. He remembered the ring on her finger. He remembered the way she would smile as she showed it off to visitors. He was swept with a sudden, overwhelming urge to weep.

He forced himself to approach the counter. He tried to speak but found his voice trapped in his throat. He pointed, his finger trembling. The shopkeeper, a man with a graying beard, looked at him with an expression of weary understanding.