Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the pawn shop hummed, casting a sickly yellow glow over the dusty glass display cases. Sarah squinted, her fingers tracing the outline of a simple gold band set with a single, glittering diamond. It was too small, almost certainly a woman's ring. And…familiar. A chill ran down her spine, a prickling sensation that made her pull her worn cardigan tighter. She’d seen this ring before, she was almost certain.

She asked the man behind the counter, a burly figure with a receding hairline and a bored expression, to see it. He grunted, unlocking the case with a clatter of keys. As the ring sat in her palm, its facets catching the light, she felt a tightness in her chest, like a knot slowly tightening. It looked identical to the ring her grandmother, Eleanor, had always worn. Eleanor was gone now, passed away two years ago.

“How much?” Sarah asked, her voice sounding raspy. She found herself clutching at the ring, the smooth gold strangely cold against her skin. The pawnbroker rattled off a price. It was more than she expected, and she didn’t have that much on her. This wasn’t something she should have to think about.