Gemotions

Her breath hitched, a series of rapid, shallow gasps. The pawn shop’s bell above the door jangled, a cruel, mocking laugh in her ears. She hadn’t expected to *find* it here. Never. Her vision swam, the fluorescent lights blurring into a pulsating haze. The ring, nestled in the velvet display, glittered like a taunt, a tiny beacon of her grandmother's lost love. "Excuse me," she croaked, her voice barely a whisper, a sound that felt wrong in the heavy air. Her hands, clammy and trembling, clutched at the edge of the glass counter. This couldn't be happening.