Gemotions

The bell above the pawn shop door jingled as Elias entered, sunlight momentarily obscuring the dust motes dancing in the air. He scanned the cluttered glass cases, each holding forgotten treasures and tarnished dreams. His breath hitched when he saw it, nestled amongst chipped porcelain dolls and dented silverware: a familiar gleam of sapphire, encircled by diamonds. His fingers itched to touch the cool metal.

He approached the counter, his heart hammering against his ribs. The shopkeeper, a man with a perpetually weary face, peered at him over thick spectacles. "Can I help you, son?" Elias swallowed, trying to sound casual. "Just… looking." He pointed a trembling finger. "At that ring."

He imagined his grandmother, her hands gnarled with age, but always adorned with that ring. It had been her most prized possession. He would tell his mother. Maybe, just maybe, this was the turn of fortune he'd been wishing for.