Gemotions

The sunlight sliced through the grimy window of the pawn shop, illuminating dust motes that danced tauntingly in the air. Evelyn's hand, balled into a fist, rested on the glass counter. She’d been staring at the same collection of tarnished watches for what felt like an eternity. The shop owner, a woman with a mountain of tangled gray hair, was meticulously organizing a display of cheap trinkets.

"Are you absolutely certain you don't have it?" Evelyn asked, her voice tight. The question had already been asked several times in the past thirty minutes.

The woman sighed, her eyes rolling towards the ceiling. "I told you, honey, I got a lot of inventory. Gotta look through it all." Evelyn felt heat bloom in her chest, a burning sensation that threatened to consume her.