Gemotions

The air in the pawn shop was stale and stagnant, a perfect reflection of how Samuel felt. He felt he could not shake a sense of gloom and frustration. He had stopped talking to his friends, he’d abandoned his hobbies, and even food held no appeal. Now this; the task of finding his mother a present, his face grim.

He stumbled upon it, a display case tucked away in a darkened corner. A ring. His grandmother's engagement ring. He recognised it instantly, the unique setting, the way the light caught the facets of the central stone. The ring seemed to mock him.

He stood there, frozen, the world narrowing to that single point. He felt his jaw clench, and he struggled to breathe. He wanted to run, to escape. But his feet were rooted to the spot.